Questions asked over FOI anonymity clause

Questions asked over FOI anonymity clause

1 January 2013

A LOCAL politician says he’s “perplexed” that people can bombard Down Council with requests for information, but their identity must not be divulged.

Over a three-month period from September 1 last year, the local authority received 66 Freedom of Information (FoI) requests.

They included requests for details of council funding provided to Orange Order organisations and GAA clubs across the district over the past number of years.

Council officials were also asked for information in relation to complaints made to its Environmental Health Department, details of its consultation on the new Down Leisure Centre and the number of complaints it’s received in relation to dog fouling across the district.

The local authority was also asked for details of councillors’ allowances and expenses, the membership of its senior management team, the number of people prosecuted for ping litter and details of grants awarded by the Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

At the most recent meeting of the council’s Corporate Services Committee, Councillor Walter Lyons said he was surprised that politicians do not know the identity of people asking questions.

He said he had no objection to requests being answered — if council officials were in a position to do so — but he was concerned that people can ask questions about elected representatives and retain their anonymity.

He suggested council officials should monitor the requests to make sure the system was not being abused.

“I believe it is important our officers’ time is used well to serve the people of our district,” he added.

Council official Lisa Robinson said FoI legislation ensured that the identity of people making requests for information cannot be divulged.

“When someone makes a request, we are not allowed to consider who they are and why they want the information,” she explained.

The council official also confirmed a charge for photocopying and postage had to be paid by the person making the request when the cost of answering the query was £10 or more. No information was provided until associated costs were paid.