Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety

The public authority completed a joint study (with its counterpart in Eire) on collaborative work, between the pair, in health and social care. The complainant requested a copy of this report and any other produced, within the last few years, on the same subject. The public authority relied on sections 36(2)(c) to refuse the complainant’s request. The Commissioner found that, whilst the exemption was engaged, the public interest required the release of the information. Further the public authority’s failure to inform the complainant that it held no other reports on the same subject was a breach of section 1(1)(a) of the Act.