Annual Report 2008 - Text

Contents

Foreword

Chapter 1

The Year in Review

FOI 10th Anniversary Conference (15th May 2008)

Collation of Statistics

Level of Requests to Public Bodies

Type of Request

Type of Requester

Release Rates

Applications to my Office for Review

Deemed Refusals

Fees Received

Reviews of Decisions

Time Taken to Complete Reviews

Outcome of Reviews

General Queries Dealt

Statutory Notices

Statutory Notices Issued by Ministers / Secretaries General (2008)

Appeals to the High Court

External Review of Format and Content of Decisions

Staffing Matters

Chapter 2

Issues Arising

Impact of FOI in the Public Domain in 2008

The Role of Settlements and Withdrawals in 2008

Application of FOI Act to Cabinet Records

Public Bodies outside the scope of the FOI Act

Personal Information of Deceased Persons

High Court Judgments

Chapter 3

Decisions

Refusal to Confirm or Deny Existence of Records

Failure to locate Records

Access to Investigation Reports

Chapter 4

Statistics

Section I - Public Bodies - 2008

Section II - Office of the Information Commissioner - 2008

Part II - Commissioner for Environmental Information

Chapter I

Introduction

Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007

The Directive and the Regulations

What is Environmental Information?

Promoting Access to Information

Public Authorities

Charges

Refusal Grounds

Guidance

Appeals received

Comment

Chapter 2

Decisions

Open Focus & Sligo County Council (Case CEI/07/06)

Hill of Allen Action Group & Kildare County Council (Case CEI/08/0001)

Mr Gary Fitzgerald & the Department of the Taoiseach (Case CEI/07/0005)

Peter Sweetman & Associates & Courts Service (Case CEI/08/05)

Appendix I

Certificates Issued under Section 20 and Section 25

Appendix II

Review under Section 25(7) of Ministerial Certificates Issued

Organisation Chart

Organisation Chart