The European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007-2018 (AIE Regulations) give you the right to access information held by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) about environmental issues. These requests are for non-personal information only.
Why may I access this information?
The AIE Regulations give you the right of access to environmental information held by public authorities. The belief is that giving the general public access to this information encourages greater awareness of issues that affect the environment. When this happens, it encourages greater participation in decision-making on these matters.
What is an Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) request?
The AIE Regulations allow you access to a wide range of information. You may make a request to the FSAI for information in written, visual, electronic or any other material form from any of the following categories:
- The state of the elements of the environment. This includes, but is not limited to, air and atmosphere, water, soil, land, landscape and natural sites including wetlands, coastal and marine areas, biological diversity and its components including genetically modified organisms and the interaction among these elements
- Factors such as substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, including radioactive waste, emissions, discharges and other releases into the environment, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment
- Measures (including administrative measures) such as policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements and activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to above as well as measures or activities designed to protect those elements
- Cost-benefit and other economic analyses and assumptions used for the above measures and activities
- The state of human health and safety, including the contamination of the food chain, where relevant, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structures that may be affected by the elements of the environment
- Reports on the implementation of environmental legislation
How do I make an Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) request?
Your request must be in writing. In making your request, you are asked to
- say that you are making the request under the AIE Regulations
- provide as much detail as possible about the information you are asking for.
Where do I send my request?
You may send this information by email or by letter.
Alternatively, you may prefer to complete and return this form.
By post
AIE Officer, Governance and Information Unit, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, The Exchange, George’s Dock, D01 P2V6, Dublin 1
By email
How long does it take to receive a response?
You may expect to receive a response within one month from the day your request is received by the FSAI.
How will you send this information to me?
In making your request, you should say if you would like to receive the information by post or by email.
How much does it cost to make an Access for Information on the Environment (AIE) request?
There is no charge for making an AIE request.
Are there any other charges?
With each request received, the AIE Officer follows two steps. These are:
- locating the area where the information is kept
- identifying the exact information, reviewing and assembling it to be sent out.
Article 15 (1) of the AIE Regulations allows the FSAI to charge a reasonable fee for the cost of supplying the environmental information. Fees may be charged for the search, retrieval and copying of the information you ask for. The FSAI has set the following charges:
- Search, retrieval and copying of records: €20 per hour
- Photocopying: €0.04 per sheet
- CD Rom: €10
If the information you asked for is complex or significantly large, a fee may therefore be charged. A fee will be charged only if the information is to be sent to you. In cases where charges are likely to occur, the FSAI will ask the person making the request to pay a deposit of at least 20% of the estimated cost at the beginning of the process.
Details of any charges that may apply will be communicated to the requester as soon as that information becomes available. Please note that the fee may be waived where the cost is estimated at less than €100. The FSAI may also disregard charges if the records requested contain only personal data.
Limited means
If you are advised that there will be a charge to process your request, and it is beyond your means, you may request that the FSAI reduces or waives this fee. If you would like to avail of such a waiver, we would kindly ask that you provide some evidence to show that your means are limited. This could be, for example, evidence that you hold a current Medical Card or are in receipt of a Social Welfare benefit.
Do I have a right to an Internal Review of the response?
Yes. If you are not happy with the response you are given, you may ask for an Internal Review to be carried out.
How do I make a request for an Internal Review?
In asking for an Internal Review, there are four steps to be followed.
These are:
- you must make your request for an Internal Appeal in writing
- your request may be sent by post or by email
- you must address your request to the ‘AIE Internal Reviewer’ and not to the AIE Officer
- you must make this request within one month from the date of the letter outlining the original decision.
Who is the Internal Reviewer?
The Internal Reviewer is a member of staff who is more senior to the AIE Officer.
Where do I send my request for an Internal Review?
If you are making a request for an Internal Review, you may send it to one of the following addresses.
By post
AIE Internal Reviewer, Governance and Information Unit, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, The Exchange, George’s Dock, D01 P2V6, Dublin 1.
By email
Is there a charge for an Internal Review?
No. There is no charge for an Internal Review. Fees may, however, be charged for the search, retrieval and copying of information you are asking for. These are calculated in the same way as set out above.
When may I expect a response to my request for an Internal Review?
You will receive a response to the Internal Review within one month of the FSAI receiving your request for an Internal Review.
May I appeal the decision of the Internal Reviewer?
Yes. If you are not happy with the decision of the Internal Reviewer, you may appeal to the Commissioner for Environmental Information. The Commissioner will carry out a full and independent review of the decision. You must make this appeal within one month of receiving the decision from the Internal Reviewer at the FSAI.
How do I contact the Commissioner for Environmental Information?
The Commissioner for Environmental Information may be contacted by post or by email. You may also make an appeal by following the steps set out on its webpage.
The contact details are as follows:
By post
Commissioner for Environmental Information, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, D02 W773, Dublin 2
By email
Website
Is there a charge for appealing to the Commissioner for Environmental Information?
Yes. When appealing a decision, a fee of €50 is payable to the Commissioner for Environmental Information. The reduced rate for Medical Card holders is €15. Furthermore, if an individual not party to the original request wants to appeal a decision to release information that she/he/they feels could incriminate her/him/them, the fee is also €15.