FOI

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 was enacted on 14 October 2014 and extends FOI to a range of public bodies including the Property Services Regulatory Authority (the Authority).

The Authority was established on 3 April 2012. Under the FOI Act 2014 every person has the following legal rights, consistent with the public interest and the right to privacy of individuals:

The FOI Act 2014 requires public bodies to respond to requests from the public for information they hold. In most cases, public bodies must give their decision on a request within 4 weeks of receiving it.

Submit the request either in writing or by email preferably using the official Freedom of Information Application Form here to the:

Freedom of Information Unit
Property Services Regulatory Authority
Abbey Buildings
Abbey Road
Navan
Co Meath
C15 K7PY

E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +353 (046) 9033800
Freephone: 1800-252712

Requests should be as specific as possible to assist with identification of the records being sought. Proof of identity may be sought, especially where personal information is being requested, e.g. Birth Certificate, Driving Licence, Passport or other form of identity.

Requests will be acknowledged within 10 working days of receipt and will give contact details of the person handling the request. In most cases, a final decision on your request will be sent to you within 20 working days of receipt. If difficulty is experienced in identifying the records required, the Authority’s FOI Unit will assist you in the formulation of the request.

There is no up-front fee for submitting a request.

In respect of non-personal requests, charges may be applied for the time spent finding records and for any reproduction costs incurred by the Authority in providing you with the material requested (search, retrieval and copying charges). Search and retrieval fee is €20.00 per hour. Copying charge is €0.04 per sheet. However, there is a minimum threshold of €101 below which no search, retrieval and copying fees can be charged. Details of actual charges relating to your request may be notified to you in writing.

Information about us and how we operate is published on our website. This is how we make information available to the public. The public registers established under the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 are available on our website. Click here.

You may appeal any FOI decision issued by the Authority by writing to the Freedom of Information Unit, Property Services Regulatory Authority, Abbey Buildings, Abbey Road, Navan, Co Meath or by emailing [email protected] seeking an Internal Review of the matter. A fee of €30 (€10 for medical card holders) may apply for such an appeal. There is no fee for internal review applications concerning only personal information relating to oneself or in relation to a decision to impose a fee or deposit.

You should make your appeal within 4 weeks from the date of the decision. The appeal will involve a complete reconsideration of the matter by a more senior member of staff of the Authority and a decision will be communicated to you within 3 weeks.

You may appeal an internal review decision within six months by writing to the Office of the Information Commissioner. If you make an appeal the Information Commissioner will fully investigate and consider the matter and issue a fresh decision. All such appeals should be addressed to:

Office of the Information Commissioner
6 Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2. D02 W773

Tel: +353 (1) 639 5689
E-mail: [email protected]

A fee of €50 (€15 for medical card holders) may apply for such an application. Again, there is no fee for appeals to the Office of the Information Commissioner concerning only personal information relating to oneself or in relation to a decision to impose a fee or deposit.

Yes. If you require any help the staff in the Authority’s FOI Unit will be happy to assist you in the formulation of your request.

No. The Authority routinely makes information available to the public through its website and in response to enquiries. This will continue. FOI provides an additional source of information by facilitating access to records not routinely made available.