The complainant submitted an information request to the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) for copies of correspondence between the Education Minister and the Head of NCIS between two dates in 2024.
DENI withheld the requested information under sections 35(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy), 40(2) (third-party personal data), and 35(1)(d) (operation of ministerial office) of FOIA.
The Commissioner’s decision is that section 35(1)(a) is not engaged but that DENI was correct to withhold the whole of the requested information under section 40(2) of FOIA. The Commissioner also finds that, in failing to respond to the request within the statutory timescale, DENI breached sections 1(1), 10(1) and 17(1) of FOIA.
The Commissioner does not require further steps, as a result of this notice.