FOI Fees and Charges

Fees for Information Requests and Reviews

Section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 sets out applicable fees and charges that may apply:

No fees apply where the request involves access to your personal records.

Search, Retrieval and Copying Costs

Charges may be applied for the time spent finding and retrieving records, and for any copying costs incurred in providing you with the material requested. It is very unlikely that any charges will be applied in respect of personal records, except where a large number of records are involved.

If the cost of search, retrieval and copying is €100 or less, no charge is applied. If the charge exceeds €100, full fees apply. You cannot be charged more than €500. A deposit may be payable.

Where the fee has been estimated over €101, a deposit of an amount no less than 20% of the estimated costs is payable before the process of search and retrieval of the records commences. The number of days to a decision issuing is 20 working days, when a deposit is sought the clock stops and the counting of days does not proceed until the deposit has been paid.

If the estimated cost of search, retrieval and copying is estimated at more than €700 the Act stipulates that a request may be refused, unless you refine your request to bring the search, retrieval and copying fees below this limit.