Mr McErlean

Your email below refers.

You are again seeking information relating to Covid 19 Health matters.

As previously advised on 9 February 2021, 3 March 2021 and 11 March 2021
the Department of Health (DoH), within the NI executive, not the Executive
Office (TEO) take the lead on all Health related matters and may hold
recorded information.

Information requests relating to Covid 19 Health matters should be
directed to the DoH at [1][email address]

Please be advised that any further similar information requests will
likely be refused under FOIA section 14 (vexatious or repeated requests).

I would again urge you to consider the advice and assistance previously
provided before submitting a further FOI request to TEO or any other
Public Authority.

Regards

Nicola

Nicola Finlay

The Executive Office| Freedom of Information| Information Management and
Central Advisory Branch

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Mr McErlean

As repeatedly advised the FOI Act gives you the right to seek recorded
information only e.g. minutes of meetings, financial data etc. from public
authorities listed within the FOI legislation. By submitting requests that
seek an opinion rather than requesting recorded information it is highly
likely no recorded opinion is held and therefore there will be no
information to disclose. TEO does not hold a recorded opinion pertaining
to your request below.

Under FOI legislation a public authority is under obligation to create new
information to respond to a request. A public authority can only consider
disclosing the recorded information it holds and is also not required to
find or obtain information held by another public authority.

By way of further assistance please see links below to the nine Northern
Ireland Civil Service (NICS) Departments that are considered public
authorities under the remit of the FOIA. These websites will provide you
with information on each Department’s responsibilities and should assist
you in determining the most appropriate public authority to seek recorded
information from.

[1]https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/

[2]https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/

[3]https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/

[4]https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/

[5]https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/

[6]https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/

[7]https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/

[8]https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/

[9]https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/

Should you wish to submit a request for recorded information under the
provision of the FOIA you should carefully consider which public authority
is the most likely to hold the recorded information you seek and clearly
setting out what specific recorded information you require. As previously
advised, within Northern Ireland, recorded information pertaining to the
Covid 19 health pandemic is more likely to be held by Department of Health
(DoH) as the NICS Department that has responsibility for Health and Social
Care, Public Health and Public Safety. A significant amount of
information, including scientific evidence, statistics, R number etc. and
publication of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2)
(Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021, is already available on
the DoH website: - [10]https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/coronavirus

I hope this response has been of some further assistance.

Regards

Nicola

Nicola Finlay

The Executive Office| Freedom of Information| Information Management and
Central Advisory Branch

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