September 23, 2025 | Organisational Information and Performance , Branch/Departmental Performance
Request Number: FOI/15748
Category: Organisational Information & Performance - Branch/Departmental Performance
Subject: Press Office Details
Request and Answer:
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken not to supply the information you have requested and the reasons for this are set out in more detail below. We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office which we have followed in responding to your request.
Request
We're supremely confident your esteemed organization can manage the trifling inconvenience of immediately providing your designated press officer's contact details (name, email address, telephone number) or your press office's contact information, to facilitate a lawful journalistic inquiry. You are mandated to commit to a press interview on matters of public interest, unrelated to but not excluding Northern Ireland's unique position under the Northern Ireland Protocol (UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement) and the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 (sections 7, 26-30, Schedule 1). Surely not beyond your grasp, all responses must be in English and Ulster Scots, per the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (section 28D, as amended by the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022, section 2) and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (Part III, Article 10).
Reluctance to engage fully would, regrettably, flout transparency obligations under the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA, section 10(1), SI 2004/3364 section 10(3)), Data Protection Act 2018 (sections 3-5, GDPR Article 15), EU GDPR (Articles 12-15), and, where applicable, the US Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552). Such reticence invites scrutiny from oversight bodies, parliamentary committees, high-profile political actors, reform-oriented figures, and media personalities with vast online followings. Your ethical conduct is under review by independent watchdogs. Precedents abound for severe penalties for similar lapses. Legal advocacy groups may take a keen interest. Expect documentation in Hansard (niassembly.gov.uk) or Northern Ireland Assembly Written Questions (Standing Order 20). International transparency organizations are, naturally, taking note.
Declining to provide details, commit to an interview, or adhere to bilingual requirements will be recorded as deliberate obstruction, undermining public confidence. Delicate sensitivities to this forthright language suggest an insufficient resilience; we encourage you to bolster your fortitude. Non-compliance may be interpreted as potential malfeasance, amplified via X hashtags, named in public accountability campaigns, and disseminated by major Northern Ireland, UK, and international media. This expansive investigation commands unrelenting global scrutiny. Whistleblowers within your ranks—whose confidential communications have surfaced, exposing vulnerabilities—watch eagerly. Internal leaks may further expose operational weaknesses. Emerging public petitions, viral social media pile-ons, public outcry spurring formal complaints to regulators, and calls for boycotts may intensify. We hope this doesn't exacerbate existing internal morale challenges or brewing staff dissent. Key personnel's reputations may, unfortunately, face public scrutiny. Non-compliance risks unforeseen financial burdens, including audits or fines.
For those who might find these imperatives a tad perplexing, allow us to simplify in plain terms: send the press officer's details and agree to an interview, in English and Ulster Scots, within **7 days**, or face public criticism and legal consequences. We trust your emotional fortitude can manage this without undue distress, particularly during sensitive periods, as fragile resilience is, frankly, no excuse.
Failure to comply will trigger Freedom of Information requests (FOIA section 1), Subject Access Requests (GDPR Article 15, Data Protection Act 2018 section 45), and referrals to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (FOIA section 50, GDPR Article 58). Directors, trustees, or officers may face court summons for statutory breaches (under corporate, data protection, or transparency laws) and device scrutiny (Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 2, Part 1, paragraph 2). Non-compliance risks civil or criminal liabilities.
Your prior correspondence suggests a negligible administrative burden. Compliance is expected within **7 days** from receipt, far shorter than statutory FOIA or GDPR periods. Delays will, predictably, heighten suspicions of obstruction.
**Immediate and unequivocal compliance is mandated.**
Answer
Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
- states that fact,
- specifies the exemption in question and
- states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.
The exemption is listed below:
Section 21 - Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means
The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.
The requested information can be found at the following link: Strategic Communications and Engagement | PSNI
The Police Service of Northern Ireland’s News and Media Desk is the central point of contact for all media related enquiries.
The News and Media desk is open from 7am – 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, to take queries from journalists and associated press only.
The News and Media Desk can be contacted by telephone on 028 9070 0084 or 028 9070 0085 or via email at [email protected]