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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Government, citizens and rights
    3. Your rights and responsibilities

    Freedom of information and data protection

    Freedom of information (FOI) gives you the right to ask any public sector organisation for information they hold. Anyone can ask for information. You can also ask for information about yourself under data protection legislation.

    Organisations you can ask for information from

    You can ask for information from publicly-funded organisations that work for the welfare of the whole population, such as:

    • government departments
    • local councils
    • schools, colleges and universities
    • health trusts, hospitals and doctors’ surgeries
    • publicly-funded museums
    • the police
    • non-departmental public bodies, committees and advisory bodies

    Making an FOI request

    You can contact an organisation directly by letter or email to make a freedom of information request. When making your request, you should include:

    • your name
    • an address where you can be contacted
    • a detailed description of the recorded information you want
    • the format you want the information in

    You can ask for the information in a number of different formats. This could be paper or electronic copies of any original documents, or other formats like large print, audio format or Braille.

    Depending on the nature of your request, you can ask for all the information or just a summary.

    If you plan to reproduce the information you receive, make sure you check the copyright status of it first.

    Most requests are free but you might be asked to pay a small amount for photocopies or postage. You will be told by the organisation if you have to pay anything.

    You should receive the information within 20 working days. If the organisation needs more time, they will contact you and tell you when you can expect the information.

    • How to access information from a public authority

    If your request is turned down

    Some sensitive information might not be available to members of the public. If this is the case, the organisation must tell you why they have withheld some or all of the information you requested.

    An organisation can turn down your request if they think it will cost them more than £450.00 (£600.00 for a central government organisation) to deal with your request.

    They might then ask you to be more specific so they can give you the information you’re looking for.

    If an organisation doesn’t give you the information you asked for, you should first contact them and ask them to review their decision.

    Data protection

    General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 control how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.

    Everyone who collects data has to follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles’. They must make sure the information is:

    • processed  lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way
    • collected for written, explicit and legitimate purposes
    • adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purposes for which it is processed
    • accurate and kept up-to-date
    • kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary
    • processed in a safe and secure way

    There is stronger legal protection for more sensitive information, such as:

    • race
    • ethnic origin
    • political opinions
    • religious or philosophical beliefs
    • trade union membership
    • genetics
    • biometrics (when used for ID purposes, such as facial recognition or fingerprints)
    • health
    • sex life
    • sexual orientation

    Your data protection rights

    You have the following rights under data protection legislation:

    • the right to be informed
    • the right of access
    • the right to rectification
    • the right to erasure
    • the right to restrict processing

    • the right to data portability
    • the right to object
    • rights about automated decision making and profiling

    If you wish to use any of the rights above, you should contact the relevant organisation. Contacts for each department are:

    The Executive Office

    • email: dpo@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk

    Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

    • email: dataprotectionofficer@daera-ni.gov.uk

    Department of Education

    • email: dataprotectionofficer@education-ni.gov.uk

    Department of Finance

    • email:  DataProtectionOfficer@finance-ni.gov.uk

    Department of Health

    • email: DPO@health-ni.gov.uk

    Department of Justice

    • email: DataProtectionOfficer@justice-ni.x.gsi.gov.uk

    Department for Communities

    • DPO@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Department for the Economy

    • email: DPO@economy-ni.gov.uk

    Department for Infrastructure

    • email: DFIGDPR@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    Right of access

    The right of access means that you have the right to get:

    • confirmation that your data is being processed lawfully
    • access to your personal data
    • other extra information, for example information that should be provided in a privacy notice

    The organisation legally must give you a copy of the information they hold about you if you ask for it.

    A copy of the information should be given free of charge. However, organisations can charge a ‘reasonable fee’ in specific circumstances.

    Withheld information

    There are some situations when organisations are allowed to withhold information, for example if the information is about:

    • the prevention, detection or investigation of a crime
    • national security or the armed forces
    • the assessment or collection of tax
    • judicial or ministerial appointments
    • statistics and scientific or historical research

    An organisation doesn’t have to say why they are withholding information.

    Worried about your data

    If you think your data has been misused or that the organisation holding it hasn’t kept it secure, you should contact them and tell them.

    The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

    The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) can help you understand what data protection, freedom of information and related issues mean to you. It can advise you on how to protect your personal information and how to gain access to official records.

    If you think an organisation has failed to abide by the legislation the ICO regulates, you may be able to get help. You can find out how to make a complaint and more on the ICO website.

    • Make a complaint
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    Your rights and responsibilities

    • Children's human rights
    • Diversity and discrimination
    • Find out your rights
    • Freedom of information and data protection
    • Gender recognition
    • Your rights after leaving the EU

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

    Related sites

    • gov.uk
    • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

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