Department for Communities

The complainant has requested information about the cost of removal of bonfire materials from the Galliagh area during August 2023. The Department for Communities (DFC) stated that it did not hold information on the overall costs, and it relied on section 43 of FOIA (commercial interests) to withhold the cost information it did hold. The Commissioner’s decision is that the DFC was entitled to rely on regulation 12(5)(e) of the EIR (commercial confidentiality) to withhold the requested cost information. However, he also finds that it breached regulation 14 of the EIR by handling the request under FOIA rather than the EIR. The Commissioner does not require further steps.