Your comments or complaints

How to provide feedback

Send PRONI your feedback by using the Comment Cards available at the Search Room Helpdesk or at the Collection Point at PRONI offices in Belfast.  Or contact PRONI by letter or email.

PRONI tries to give a high quality service at all times but there may be occasions when problems do arise and you don't get the standard of service you expect.

Making a complaint

The procedure below explains how you can make a complaint, what you can expect when you do so, and what you can do if you are still dissatisfied.

PRONI procedure

In the first instance you should bring your complaint to the duty manager who will try to resolve the issue to your satisfaction informally.

If you are not satisfied, ask to speak to a senior member of staff, who will investigate your complaint.

You may prefer to put your complaint in writing to the Head of Public Services setting out full details of your complaint.  Your complaint should be sent to:

Alternatively, you can email your complaint to the PRONI mailbox: proni@communities-ni.gov.uk.

Your complaint will be acknowledged within two working days of receipt.  The Head of Public Services will issue a full response to you within 10 working days of receipt of your complaint.

If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive from the Head of Public Services, you may wish to address your comments to the Director of PRONI, either at the above address or email.

Department for Communities complaints procedure

The Department for Communities has a Departmental complaints procedure, details of which can be found on DfC's website.

Lodging a complaint or appeal about an FOI decision

You have the right to complain if you're unhappy with the way your request is handled, or with the decision which has been reached.

Internal review

The first stage in the complaints/ appeals process would be to request an internal review.  The Freedom of Information (FOI) Appeals Manager will examine your application, looking at the handling of your application by PRONI staff, the information you wish to access, and consultation with the responsible authority.

Following this assessment, the FOI Appeals Manager may either revise or uphold the original decision.

Information Commissioner

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the Internal Review, you may wish to contact the Information Commissioner who will carry out an independent review of your application.

The Information Commissioner may either revise or uphold the original decision.

You can contact the Information Commissioner in any of the following ways:

In writing:

By telephone: 028 9027 8757 / 0303 123 1114
By e-mail: ni@ico.org.uk