Regulations, 2010

L.N. 158 of 2010

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

(CAP. 496)

Fees charged by Public Authorities for Access to Documents

Regulations, 2010

In exercise of the powers conferred by article 42(c) of the

Freedom of Information Act, the Minister for Justice and Home

Affairs has made the following regulations:-

(1)

The title of these regulations is Fees Charged by

Public Authorities for access to documents Regulations, 2010.

(2) These regulations shall come into force on the 21st April,

2010.

(Regulation 3)

Requests requiring less than two man-hours of processing ..............

Requests requiring at least two man-hours of processing but less

than three hours ................................................................................

Requests requiring at least three man-hours of processing but less

than four hours .................................................................................

Requests requiring at least four man-hours of processing .................

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:-

"processing" refers to the activities relating to the

identification, search or collation of documents or information,

consultations conducted with any person or body of persons in

relation to the possible disclosure of documents or information, or

otherwise editing the documents or information in order to meet a

request by an applicant; and

"single request" means a request for one document or a request

for specific or closely related information.

(Regulation 4)

Additional fees

Photocopies and Faxes .....................................

€00.12 per page

Digital Media: Cost price of the digital medium used (e.g. disc)

Public authorities may charge processing fees for access to

documents or information in accordance with the First Schedule.

(Regulation 4)

Additional fees

Inspection of up to 1 hour .................................................................

Inspection of up to 2hours ................................................................

Inspection of up to 3 hours ................................................................

Inspection exceeding 3 hours ............................................................

In the event of multiple inspection sessions, the Public Authority shall set the fee

by counting the hours the applicant spent inspecting the document

Whenever additional expenses are incurred by public

authorities to make the requested document or information available

to the applicant, irrespective of whether this was the format preferred

by the applicant in his request, public authorities may charge an

additional fee in accordance with the Second Schedule.

Moreover, additional fees may be charged by public authorities

in accordance with the Third Schedule when the applicant expresses

preference and is given access to a document by inspecting it at the

public authority’s premises.

Notwithstanding the provisions of regulations 3 and 4, the

fees charged in respect of a single request cannot exceed a total of

€40.

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Whenever public authorities charge fees in accordance Provision of

with these regulations, reference shall be made to these regulations. information

in

relation to fees.

Such reference shall be included in the public authority’s application

forms issued pursuant to the Application and other Forms Regulations

2010.

Public authorities shall seek to inform the applicant of the Informing

applicants about

fee applicable to his request at the earliest possible.

the fee

applicable to

specific

requests.

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