FOI Request for employees emails

JimFin

Just wondering how far can FOI go, for example could Joe Public request to see individual emails of an employee of a state body?

Say for example the staff member used their corporate email address for personal use and then Joe Public wanted access to view those 'personal' emails, are they entitled to them?

No issue at stake - more an office debate!

Tom Young

Yes, but the decider may declare the documents confidential pursuant to s.37 of the 2014 FOI Act. No real reason why the documents shouldn't be declared of the recipient works for a public body to which FOI applies. Data Protection is another matter.

Losty Dublin

All communications sent by civil servants are subject to FOI requests. The likelihood of a request to access staff e mails (Or SMS messages) being accepted depends on the subject and content of the mails and the relevance of the material you request. Your request for my e mails talking about when I'll take lunch is unlikely to be accepted but it theoretically could be. Those sent from the Secretary General will naturally be of greater interest and more likely to approved.

Carawaystick

There was an email about <redacted> there a few weeks ago that was redacted
https://thestory.ie/2016/01/17/denis-obriens-email-to-des-carville/

lifeandtimes

Just did a quick check on the dublin city council sight and saw this

"Some information may not be given to you because it is exempt, for example because it would unfairly reveal personal details about another person.."

Guess that means if an civil servant was chatting to a friend by email about their marriage breakdown for example then they won't release them