Freedom of Information (F.O.I.)
Frequently Asked F.O.I. Questions
What is the Freedom of Information Act?
The Freedom of Information Act, 1997 came into effect for St.
John's Hospital on 21 October 1999. The Freedom of Information
(Amendment) Act 2003 came into effect on 3rd July 2003. The Acts
establish three statutory rights :
-
The right to access official records/information held by Public
Bodies.
- The right to have personal information amended where such
information is incomplete, incorrect or misleading.
- The right to be given reasons for decisions taken by public
bodies that effect them.
These rights mean that members of the public may seek access to
personal information held on them, regardless of when the
information was created, subject to availability, having regard
to the public interest and the right to privacy.
How can a request be made?
Requests may be made to:-
The Freedom of Information Officer,
Administration Department.
St. John's Hospital,
St. John's Square,
Limerick.
Requests must:
- Be made in writing
- State that the request is made under the F.O.I. Act(s).
- Indicate clearly the records/information requested.
- Specify the manner of access sought; i.e. arrangements to
view/discuss the records at the Hospital or to receive a copy of
the records.
- Produce proof of identity. This will be sought before access to
personal information is granted.
- Include €15 ( €10 for medical card holders) Up front fee for
non-personal information.
Officers of the Hospital must assist the Requester to put
his/her request in such a way that it complies with the
requirements of the Act. The requester must receive
acknowledgment of his/her request within two weeks and generally
a decision within four weeks from the date of receipt of the
request.
How does the F.O.I. Act work?
The Act requires Public Bodies to respond to requests from the
public for information they hold. Public bodies must give their
decision on a request within 4 weeks of receiving it. Staff of
Public Bodies must also assist members of the public seeking
access to information.
In addition, each Public body must prepare, publish and make
available reference books, setting out the structure of the
organisation, the services they provide, the arrangements in
place for providing access to information (Section 15) and any
rules, guidelines or practices they use in reaching decisions
that effect the public (Section 16). St. John's Hospital has
incorporated both manuals into one publication. Copies of this
reference book are available at St. John's Hospital, the
Limerick City Library and the Citizen's Information Centre.
Can I get access to any information that I seek?
Any official information held by public bodies can be sought
under the Act. However, in certain defined circumstances, it
will sometimes be necessary to exempt from release, certain
types of information. These are set out in Sections 19 - 32 of
the Act. Some key exemptions are records relating to:
-
Personal information (other than information relating to the
person making the request).
- Information supplied to the Hospital in confidence.
- Law enforcement and Public Safety.
- Commercially sensitive information.
- Deliberations of Public Bodies
- Functions and Negotiations of Public Bodies.
While the Hospital will seek to protect the privacy of
individuals and information supplied in confidence, in certain
circumstances it may be in the public interest to release such
information.
Is there a charge for accessing information under the F.O.I.
Act(s)?
Personal Information will normally be given free of charge. The
introduction of a €15 charge (€10 for medical card holders) was
included in the F.O.I. (Amendment) Act 2003 for all non-personal
requests together with charges for Internal Review and Appeals
to the Information Commissioner. There is also a search and
copying charge which may apply to non-personal information.
Section 47 of the F.O.I. Act(s) provides for fees as follows:
- €15 (€10 for medical card holders) up front fee for non-personal
information
- €20.95 per hour - search and retrieval
- €0.04 cents per sheet in relation to photocopying
- €6.35 for an x-ray film
- €0.51 for 3 inch computer diskette.
Requesters cannot be charged for time spent on deciding whether
or not to grant their request.
Is it always necessary to make a F.O.I. request to get
information from public bodies?
No - You may be able to obtain the information you require by
other means such as:
- By discussion with the relevant member of the Hospital's staff.
- By information leaflets, annual reports, etc. which the Hospital
publishes.
Personal/Medical records should be requested/accessed through
our Administrative Access procedure. Only information which
cannot be released under our Routine Access or Administrative
Access policies should be dealt with under Freedom of
Information Act(s).
Administrative access applications may be made by writing to
The Administration Departmentt.
St. John's Hospital,
St. John's Square,
Limerick.
Personal/Medical records may be requested/accessed through our
Administrative Access procedure. Only information which cannot
be released under our Routine Access or Administrative Access
policies should be dealt with under Freedom Of Information Act.
Freedom of Information Act 1997 and Amendment Act 2003
FOI Act 1997
FOI (Amendment) Act 2003
F.O.I. Act 1997 and FOI (Amendment) Act 2003 (Amalgamated)
Publications:
An Information Guide to the Services and Schemes provided by the Hospital prepared in
accordance with Sections 15 & 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and (Amendment) Act 2003
Further Information
For further information please contact:-
Freedom of Information Officer
Administration Department
St. John's Hospital
St. John's Square
Limerick. Telephone; +0353 61 462253
Fax: +0353 61 415231
E-mail:
foi@stjohnshospital.ie
