26 September 2023

NORTHERN IRELAND: Audit of FOI controversy shelved

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NORTHERN IRELAND

An investigation into revelations made during the inquiry into Northern Ireland’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme – which led to the collapse of the Province’s Government in early 2017 – has been shelved until the Government is restored.

A call for the probe, by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) came after the head of Northern Ireland’s Public Service sparked controversy during testimony to the RHI inquiry.

David Sterling admitted that when the Government at Stormont was still in place, some meetings were not minuted to avoid Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures.

He said the two power-sharing parties, The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin, were sensitive to criticism and it was sometimes safer not to have a record which might be released through FOI requests.

Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham (pictured) later wrote to Mr Sterling saying that “to purposefully avoid taking minutes of meetings or recording decisions… frustrates the principles of openness, accountability and transparency”.

She said that “given the concerns… I request that my office undertake an audit to assess whether the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) complies with FOI legislation”.

However, the ICO has since confirmed the audit has been shelved for the foreseeable future.

An ICO spokeswoman said the decision was taken to postpone the proposed audit, pending the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive.

The public inquiry into the botched green energy scheme exposed a litany of problems at political and Ministerial level, but also within the operations of the Public Service.

Belfast, 27 November 2019

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