To make a request to Research Ireland under Freedom of Information legislation, please send your request by email to FOI@researchireland.ie, or in writing to: FOI Officer, Research Ireland, Three Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, D02FX65.

In your request please:

• Specify that the request is being made under the Freedom of Information Act
• Be clear about the records that are being requested and give as much detail as possible to support your request and enable us to process it efficiently
• Include your return address or email address.

When you are seeking information which is personal, you will be required to supply the appropriate identification before such records could be released

No – it is not necessary to make a FOI request to get information from Research Ireland. Information is already available to the public through our website, publications and in response to enquiries. If you would like information about the records that are covered by the FOI legislation, please email FOI@researchireland.ie.

There is no set charge for personal or non-personal requests. However where a large number of records are involved other charges may be applied for the time spent finding and retrieving records (€20 per hour) and for any photocopying costs incurred by Research Ireland in providing you with the material requested (€0.04 per sheet).

It is unlikely that such fees would apply in the case of requests for personal information and some requests are exempt from a fee. Section 27 of the FOI Act provides for the applicable fees, including the thresholds and caps that apply. If you would like further information, please contact us by email: FOI@researchireland.ie.

Fees apply in the case of an internal review and also for appeals to the Office of the Information Commissioner concerning access to non-personal records. There are reductions for medical card holders.

Fee list for internal review / appeal to the information commissioner

• €30.00 internal review fee – non personal requests
• €10.00 internal review fee (medical card holders)
• €50.00 appeal to the Information Commissioner
• €10.00 appeal to the Information Commissioner (medical card holders)

A request for records must be acknowledged within two weeks and, in most cases, responded to within four weeks. A week is defined in the Act to mean five consecutive weekdays, excluding Saturdays and public holidays (Sundays are also excluded as they are not considered weekdays). If a third party is involved, there may be another three weeks before a response issues.

Yes. If you would like to appeal the decision made by Research Ireland, you can do so by sending a request in writing asking for an Internal Review of the decision to the Freedom of Information Officer.

A fee of €30 (€10 for medical card holders) is applicable when appealing a decision and this must be sent with your written submission.

The review process will involve a full reassessment of your original Freedom of Information request by a staff member at a more senior level than the staff member who made the original decision.

If, after the Internal Review, you are still unsatisfied with the decision and you would like to appeal again, you can apply for a review to the Office of the Information Commissioner within six months of the Internal Review decision.

The fee for appeals to the Office of the Information Commissioner is €50 and €15 for medical card holders and their dependents. Find out more information here.