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Annual Report 2008 - Text
External Review of Format and Content of Decisions
In my Annual Report for 2007, I referred to a review of the format and content of decisions which was being carried out by an external expert. The purpose of the review was to establish whether the written decisions on reviews carried out by my Office continued to meet the original objectives particularly in terms of their format, clarity, and legal soundness. Included in the review was a comparison of the Irish decisions with the style and format of Information Commissioner decisions in other jurisdictions. The report on the decisions found that, in general, they were well structured and reasoned and consistent with my Office's aim of promoting good FOI decision making. The review concluded with recommendations which were put into effect during 2008 relating mainly to the format of the decisions and the most effective way of communicating them. The issuing of the decision in a letter addressed to the individual applicant has been replaced by a shorter, more structured format with the inclusion on a cover page of a summary of the legislative basis of the review and the findings in the case. I am satisfied that the revised format is clearer and more user-friendly for applicants and public bodies and also that it makes the analysis of the relevant exemptions more easily accessible for FOI practitioners.
