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Freedom of Information Manual 2005

Please note that this manual was last updated in 2005.

Section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act

Chapter 1: Comhairle and the Freedom of Information Acts

Chapter 1: Comhairle's information policy, services to the public, how to get information, classes of records held by Comhairle, how to use the FOI Acts, policy on confidentiality and privacy, fees, section 6 (9) FOI Acts and Citizens Information Services.

Chapter 2: Structure, functions and strategic priorities of Comhairle

Chapter 2: About Comhairle, functions, mission, values and priorities, structure, budget, Comhairle's customers

Chapter 3: Services provided and records held by different sections of Comhairle

3.1 Information and Advice Service: Online information resources, citizens information online website on rights and entitlements, assistive technology database (Assist Ireland), Voluntary and Community Sector Database, Comhairle website, information publications, assistance to information providers, expert query back-up service, publicly and routinely available information, records held

3.2 OASIS : Publicly and routinely available information, Records held

3.3 Social Policy, Advocacy and Research: Publicly and routinely available information, records held

3.4 Training and Development: Training courses, National Training Money Advice and Community Education Service, training resources and publications, good practice and accreditation, publicly and routinely available information, records held

3.5 Regional Services: Citizen Information Centres (CICs), Registration Process for CICs, Key CICs and Local CIC , Support for the independent information sector and specific communities of interest, Standards for delivery of information and advice services, Resource materials for CICs and other information providers, Mobile Citizens Information Services, Local Development/Integrated Services, Support for advocacy projects, Support for volunteering initiatives, Funding of Voluntary Sector Projects, Refugee Information Service, Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC), Social Mentor Programme, Organisation of local and regional seminars and the Comhairle National Conference, Provision of Group Insurance and Group Pension Scheme for voluntary social service organisations, Publicly and routinely available information, Records held,

3.6 Comhairle Support Functions: Human Resources and Administration, Finance, Public Relations and Communication, publicly and routinely available information, records held, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), publicly and routinely available information, records held

Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act

Part A: The Funding of Citizens Information Centres (CICs)

Part B: Information Grants Scheme (under review from 2005)

Part C: Publications Grants Scheme

Part D: Advocacy Grants Scheme

Part E: Social Policy Grants (under review from 2005)

Part F: Regional Information/Advocacy Development Funding

Part G: Regional Training Grant Fund (discontinued from 2006)

Part H: Training Courses/Events

Part I: The Social Mentor Programme

Part J: Group Insurance Facility for Voluntary Social Service Organisations

Appendix

Appendix 1: Comhairle Organisational Chart
Appendix 2: Comhairle Offices
Appendix 3: Customer Charter and Complaints Procedures
Appendix 4: Comhairle Publications and Resources
Appendix 5: The Freedom of Information Acts: Purposes, Limits on the right of access, What records can be accessed, How is access arranged, Internal review of decision, Amendment of Personal Information, Acts of Public Bodies affecting an Individual, Exempt Records, Deliberations of Public bodies, Confidential and other sensitive information, The Information Commissioner, Fees, Obligations on public bodies.

The Section 15 Manual

Section 15 of the FOI Act obliges each public body to include the following in the Reference Manual;

a general description of its structure and organisation, functions, powers and duties, any services it provides to the public and the procedures by which those services may be availed of by the public
a general description of the classes of records held by it
a general description of the rules, guidelines etc. used in decision making (this aspect is more fully dealt with in Section 16 Reference Manual)
the administrative arrangements made by the public body to enable people to exercise their rights under the FOI Act including the names of the people responsible for these arrangements and details of the appeals procedures.

The Section 16 Manual

Section 16 of the FOI Acts requires each public body to publish: the rules, procedures, practices, guidelines and interpretations used by the public body and the precedents kept by the public body for the purposes of decisions, determinations or recommendations in relation to schemes administered by the public body and
information about the way such schemes are administered.