Freedom of Information Act
About the Act
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 received royal approval on 30 November 2000, although it did not come fully into force until 2005. It gives a general right of access to all types of information held by public authorities (although certain exemptions apply) and places a number of obligations on public authorities. We are one such authority. Under the Act, we must tell any person who asks us for information whether we hold that information and we must give it to them (unless exemptions apply).
To see a copy of the Act, and the exemptions, go to the Office of Public Sector Information 
.
The Information Commissioner is responsible for the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 1998. You can get more information at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK95AF
Tel: 01625 545700
Fax: 01625 524510
Email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk
Web Site: http://www.ico.gov.uk/
What is a Publication Scheme?
Under Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we must:
- adopt and maintain a scheme which relates to publishing information and have that scheme approved by the Information Commissioner;
- publish information in line with that scheme;
- review the scheme from time to time.
Within these pages, you will see:
- the way in which we will make information available;
- whether the information is available free or for a payment.
We believe that the Publication Scheme will be of equal benefit to all groups listed under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
How is the Publication Scheme organised?
The Department has adopted the Information Commissioner's model publication scheme, which came into effect on 1 January 2009. The scheme is organised into seven classes of information:
- Who we are and what we do
- What we spend and how we spend it
- What our priorities are and how we are doing
- How we make decisions
- Our policies and procedures
- Lists and Registers
- The services we offer
More details about each class are available in the Information Commissioner's Definition Document for the Model Publication Scheme for government departments .
More details of the information routinely available under each of the seven classes can be found in our guide by clicking on DRD Publication Scheme .
Information excluded from the scheme
Information available in the classes will not normally include:
- information exempt under one of the Freedom of Information exemptions or Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) exceptions, or its release is prohibited under another statute;
- information which is archived, out of date or otherwise inaccessible; or
- information which would be impractical or resource intensive to prepare for routine release.
How will you make information available?
We will make information available through this Publication Scheme in a variety of formats.
Electronic
If information is available on our website, a hypertext link will direct you to the correct page. These are electronic documents in, for example, Word or .pdf format, and can be downloaded free of charge. To view .pdf documents, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader, free of charge.
By asking
If information is available for you to ask for, you can do so by contacting the relevant office. If you have to pay a fee, this is clearly shown against the individual documents concerned.
By viewing in person
Certain large documents and manuals may only be available to view in person, although we will try to supply sections of these documents in other ways to meet specific needs. If information is available to view in person, you can arrange to do so by contacting any of the Roads Service Section Offices, click here for contact addresses.
In some cases, you may find that information may be 'removed' from a document. This is because the information falls within an exemption set out in the Freedom of Information Act or is covered by the Data Protection Act. If this happens, the document will be clearly marked to show where information has been removed and which exemption (or exemptions) applies.
Our Publication Scheme is available on our website. You can also get it in paper and other formats (for example, on tape and in Braille) by contacting:
Information Management Unit
Department for Regional Development,
Clarence Court
10-18 Adelaide Street,
Belfast BT2 8GB
Tel: 028 9054 0540.
TextPhone: 028 9054 0642.
Email: drdimu@drdni.gov.uk
How do I get access to information that is not contained in the Publication Scheme?
If you are unable to find the information you are looking for within the Publication Scheme you can make a request to us under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act or the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR). You can do this by writing, directly, to the Agency, Division or Branch within the Department that is responsible for holding the information, if you know who that is (see contacts for addresses), or you may write to:
Information Management Unit
Department for Regional Development
Clarence Court
10-18 Adelaide Street
Belfast
BT2 8GB.
Phone: 028 9054 0266
Fax: 028 9054 0064
E-mail: drdimu@drdni.gov.uk
When requesting information please include the following details:
- your name and address
- the information or document you would like to have access; and
- the way you would like the information to be sent to you, if appropriate (for example, as hard copy, via e-mail etc.)
Alternatively you may also make a request to us using our on-line request form.
We will reply to requests within 20 working days from the date we receive them. There is normally no charge for dealing with requests but if a fee is required we will write and tell you.
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you have the right to get access to personal information held about you on computer and in some paper files.
We also have a database on our website which provides details of responses made to FOI requests that are of a wider public interest. This is referred to as Recent Releases.
Who is responsible for the Department for Regional Development Publication Scheme?
The Head of Corporate Services Unit has overall responsibility for the Publication Scheme. It is also managed on a day-to-day basis by:
David Crabbe
Information Management Unit
Department for Regional Development
Clarence Court
10-18 Adelaide Street
Belfast BT2 8GB
