Department for Communities (Northern Ireland)

The complainant has requested information from the Department for Communities (DfC) in relation to the development of certain sites owned by the DfC.  The DfC refused to disclose the information (‘the withheld information’) citing the exemptions as set out in sections 41, 42 and 43(2) of the FOIA.  The Commissioner’s decision is that the DfC has correctly applied the exemptions as set out in sections 41 and 42 of the FOIA to the withheld information.  As sections 41 and 42 cover the entirety of the withheld information, the Commissioner has not gone on to consider the DfC’s application of section 43(2) of the FOIA.