Brendan Hughes: PSNI data breach shows need for investment in FOI

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Any stifling of transparency of the PSNI or any other public body in Northern Ireland may only lead to the storing up of further controversies down the line, writes Brendan Hughes

The PSNI data breach scandal shines a spotlight on how it has been handling requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

The FOI request to which the PSNI responded was an innocuous one. A member of the public was asking simply for a breakdown of staffing numbers by their rank and grades. While the data breach has seriously damaged confidence in the PSNI both internally and externally, pulling down the shutters will do little to restore faith.

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly, a fellow Policing Board member, said "up to four different people" may have been involved in the "human error". From the Northern Ireland Protocol to other thorny issues inside Stormont and exclusive interviews - we’ve got you covered.In 2018 the PSNI had to liaise with the ICO after amassing a backlog of nearly 300 unanswered FOI requests, which it blamed on increased demand, staffing issues and budget pressures.

 

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