Irish Statute Book and Freedom of Information requests
The Irish Statute Book, published by the Office of the Attorney General, holds Acts of the Oireachtas and statutory instruments. The Freedom of Information Act 2014 gives a right to request records from FOI bodies, and the Office of the Information Commissioner reviews their decisions. Fact-checkers use the Statute Book to check what the law says and FOI to obtain records not otherwise published.
What it publishes
- Acts of the Oireachtas as enacted, with an electronic Irish Statute Book identifier (ELI) for each.
- Statutory instruments made under Acts.
- The Freedom of Information Act 2014, which sets a four-week time limit for decisions (section 13).
- Information Commissioner decisions on reviews of FOI refusals, published by the OIC.
Key datasets
- Irish Statute Book
Search Acts and statutory instruments by year, number and title.
- Freedom of Information Act 2014
Full text of the Act as enacted.
- Office of the Information Commissioner
Guidance on FOI rights and published review decisions.
APIs and downloads
- Irish Statute BookHTML and PDF versions of Acts and SIs with stable ELI web addresses.
When it publishes
New Acts and statutory instruments are added after they are signed or made. The OIC publishes decisions after each review is completed.
How to use it to check a claim
- Check whether you are reading the Act as enacted; later amendments may not appear in the enacted text, so look for amending Acts or a revised version.
- Cite the ELI address of the Act and the section.
- For FOI, send the request to the FOI body that holds the records; the head of the body must decide within four weeks, and refusals can be appealed internally and then to the Information Commissioner.
Common mistakes
- A bill passed by the Oireachtas is not law until signed by the President; check the Statute Book or the Oireachtas bill page.
- Some bodies and records are outside FOI or partly exempt under the 2014 Act.
How do I find an Irish law?
Search the Irish Statute Book by title, year or number. Each Act has an ELI web address, such as /eli/2014/act/30/ for the FOI Act 2014.
How do I make an FOI request in Ireland?
Write to the FOI officer of the public body, say the request is under the FOI Act 2014 and describe the records. The body must decide within four weeks. If refused, ask for an internal review, then apply to the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Questions answered using this source
Links checked 14 October 2026. This page describes what the source publishes and gives no verdict on any claim.