Department of Finance and Personnel NI

The complainant requested information relating to staff applications for term-time working hours. The Department of Finance and Personnel provided some of the requested information, withheld other information under section 40(2) of the FOIA, and claimed that it did not hold the remainder. Following the Commissioner’s investigation the Department revised its position and accepted that it did hold further information. The Department disclosed some of this information to the complainant. The Department maintained reliance on section 40(2) in respect of some information, and also claimed that compliance with part of the request would exceed the cost limit at section 12 of the FOIA. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Department has now complied with the requirements of the FOIA, albeit after the Commissioner’s intervention. Therefore the Commissioner requires no steps to be taken.