On 17 March 2025, the Information Regulator issued a formal notice inviting all public and private bodies to submit their annual reports on requests for access to information under the Promotion of Access to Information Act ("PAIA") for the 2024/25 financial year, covering the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The submission process officially opened on 1 April 2025. The deadline for submission is 30 June 2025, and no extensions will be granted. It is strongly advised that organisations do not delay until the last days of submission in order to avert potential technical difficulties.
The primary purpose of the annual report is to establish whether public and private bodies are effectively documenting and addressing requests made under PAIA. The data gathered enables the Information Regulator to obtain an overview of the extent to which these bodies are complying with PAIA and implementing its provisions. In particular, the report should indicate whether requests for information were addressed within the stipulated timeframes, whether any internal appeals were lodged, and what the outcomes of those appeals were. This information helps the Regulator assess how actively members of the public are making use of PAIA to exercise their right of access to information. Even if an organisation has received no requests for information, it is still required to complete the submission. In such instances, an organisation should simply report zero requests in the relevant sections.
In order to facilitate the submission process, the Information Regulator has created an online platform for filing PAIA Annual Reports. Reports can be submitted through the Regulator's eServices Portal here, which may also be accessed through the Regulator's main website.
Organisations are also reminded of the obligation to make PAIA manuals available on their websites, if any, at their principal place of business for public inspection during normal business hours;; to any person upon request and upon the payment of a reasonable amount;; and to the Information Regulator upon request.
In addition, the information officer must have a copy of the PAIA guide, published by the Information Regulator, in at least two of the official languages, at his or her registered head office, for public inspection during normal office hours.
It should be noted that the Information Regulator is actively doing PAIA compliance inspections.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
