Freedom of Information

We are subject to the North/South Ministerial Council approved Code of Practice on access to information. The Code of Practice was based on the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003 in Ireland and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the United Kingdom.

The aim of this Code is to help the public access information held by us leading to greater openness and accountability and increased public confidence in the workings of the North/South Bodies. It should also improve the quality of decision making by the North/South Bodies. InterTradeIreland has also adopted an InterTradeIreland Document Retention Policy which outlines the various types of records held by InterTradeIreland and their retention duration. The full retention and Disposal schedule is available on request.

The InterTradeIreland Records Retention and Disposal Schedule details our retention guidelines. For further information on how long we keep information, you can access our Records Retention and Disposal Schedule by contacting our Data Protection Officer by email at: dpo@intertradeireland.com

You can make a request for information by writing to:

Natalie McGivern, Communications Manager, InterTradeIreland, The Old Gasworks Business Park, Kilmorey Street, Newry, County Down, BT34 2DE.

In your request you should include:

• Your full name
• Postal address including postcode
• Contact telephone number
• E-mail address
• Details of the information you are requesting
• The purpose of the information
• The format you would prefer the information to be in (for example, a printed copy or by e-mail)

When we receive your request, we will issue an acknowledgment within 5 working days followed by a formal response no later than 20 working days from the date of receipt. We may contact you if we need clarification on the information you have requested. Where a significant volume of information and/or where consultation with a third party is required we will respond in writing no later than 35 working days from the date of receipt of the request.

A fee will not be charged where access is provided by means of inspection, or where the information is provided in electronic format. Please note: The 20 working days time limit for responding to the FOI request is suspended until payment is received.

If your request is refused or information is excluded from the release, we will reply explaining why, identifying which exemption(s) has been applied where appropriate and telling you how to apply for a review of the decision. If you remain dissatisfied after the review, you can appeal to the Northern Ireland Public Sector Ombudsman or the Ombudsman of Ireland.