The Stormont Executive has agreed to set aside almost £120 million to compensate victims of a major Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach. The decision, reached Wednesday afternoon, aims to settle ongoing legal proceedings and avoid mounting costs after the Treasury twice refused to fund the payouts.
The breach occurred in August 2023 when the PSNI accidentally released a spreadsheet containing hidden data on every officer and staff member as part of a freedom of information request. The document exposed initials, surnames, ranks and roles - information that later fell into the hands of dissident republicans.
Justice Minister Naomi Long welcomed the funding commitment. «This will enable the PSNI to advance negotiations with police officers and police staff in a timely manner, to bring about an early settlement of the ongoing legal proceedings and ensure that significant additional costs to the public purse are not incurred,» she said. Long added: «I am also mindful of the distress experienced by those affected and I hope that today's decision will bring reassurance to staff and their families.»
Costly mistake with budget impact
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly called the incident a costly error with significant consequences for public services. «The PSNI data breach was a costly mistake within the PSNI,» she said, noting that the Treasury refused to cover the costs.
Little-Pengelly emphasized the Executive stepped in because the PSNI lacks resources to settle the cases. «The loss of £120 million to fund public services however is significant. This was a very costly error,» she stated. «Whilst this is good news for the PSNI, it will have significant impact for next year's overall budget for public services which is far from ideal.» She has requested Northern Ireland Civil Service head Jayne Brady to improve systems and minimize future data breach risks.
Long road ahead for compensation
Police Federation Chair Liam Kelly welcomed the agreement as officers approach Christmas. «Thankfully, this deal is now across the line. It will come as welcome relief as we approach Christmas,» he said.
However, Kelly cautioned that actual compensation awards remain distant. «That said, it will be some time before officers see compensation awards. We have six test cases before the court and they must be concluded first. Awards set by the court will 'signpost' levels of compensation that will be offered to their colleagues,» he explained.
Kelly stressed that compensation would vary based on individual circumstances. «There is no one-size-fits all. Some officers have had upsetting, distressing and traumatising experiences on the back of this massive breach. There are colleagues in sensitive posts along with others who went to great pains to keep their employment details confidential who've been greatly impacted,» he said. «We welcome this announcement but there remains a long way to go before this unfortunate incident can be put behind us.»
The PSNI has accepted liability for the breach. Six test cases are currently before the court, with their outcomes expected to guide compensation levels for other affected officers and staff. The funding decision comes as ministers also discuss Northern Ireland's first multi-year budget in over a decade.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
