Freedom of Information

The National Council for Special Education became subject to the Freedom of Information Act with effect from 31st May 2006.

The Act asserts the right of members of the public to obtain access to official information to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the public interest and the right to privacy of individuals.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts, effective from 21st April 1998, establish three new statutory rights:

• a legal right for each person to access information held by public bodies;

• a legal right for each person to have official information relating to him/herself amended where it is incomplete, incorrect or misleading; and

• a legal right to obtain reasons for decisions affecting oneself.

Regulations provide parents, guardians and next of kin with the above rights.

Routinely available information is available on our website www.ncse.ie or through contact with your local Special Educational Needs Organiser. In accordance with the requirements of the FOI Act, the NCSE has compiled a FOI Section 15 & 16 Reference Book as a guide to the functions, records, rules and practices of the NCSE. A printed copy is available on request.

Applications under the FOI Act

Under the FOI Act, anyone is entitled to apply for access to information not otherwise publicly available.

Applications under the FOI Act should be addressed to:

Niall Feeney, Freedom of Information Officer, The National Council for Special Education, 1-2 Mill Street, Trim, Co. Meath.

Your application should be made in writing and, if applicable, accompanied by the appropriate fee (see NCSE Section 15 & 16 Reference Book for details). An application in respect of your personal information is free under Section 7 of the FOI Act. The relevant fee should be paid by Bank Draft, Money Order, Postal Order or cheque drawn on a bank in the Republic of Ireland, made payable to the National Council for Special Education.

You may use the form entitled ‘Request for Access to Records under the Freedom of Information Acts' which is available on www.foi.gov.ie.

If you are not using the form outlined above, then your application should indicate that the information is sought under the Freedom of Information Act.

For further information about the Freedom of Information legislation, please refer to the FOI website http://www.foi.gov.ie


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