Northern Ireland border.

[Name Removed] made this Freedom of Information request to Police Service of Northern Ireland This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was refused by Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Dear Police Service of Northern Ireland,

As you know there is a border in Northern Ireland. The PSNI policing Northern Ireland and Gardai policing the Republic of Ireland. I've heard there are strict rules preventing one another from crossing the border and I would like to know more information on this.

- How many PSNI pursuits have been terminated at the border between 2016 and 2019 so far due to the suspects crossing the border?

- In what circumstances, if there is any, can the PSNI can cross over into the Republic of Ireland? And if so, do they have authority to carry firearms and other personal protective gear over the border?

- The number of PSNI officers that have accidentally crossed over the border.

- The number of PSNI officers that have received disciplinary action for crossing over the border unnecessarily.

- Any handbooks or guidance relating to the PSNI and the border.

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed] [Name Removed]

Police Service of Northern Ireland

This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];

12th August 2019

Dear Mr. [Name Removed],

FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000

I write in connection with your request for information dated 12th August
2019 which was received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
on 12th August 2019.  I note you seek access to the following information:

Northern Ireland Border with Republic of Ireland

This request will be dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. A response should be sent to you within 20 working
days however I would like to advise you that PSNI are currently
experiencing a delay in the processing of requests and we aim to respond
to your request as soon as possible.

If your request is unclear and clarification is required the 20 day
legislative time limit dictated by the Freedom of Information Act 2000
will be stopped until we receive clarification of your request. The ICO
guidance at paragraph 40 of the link below sets out that the clock begins
anew the day after the clarification is received. It states

“If the requester subsequently provides enough detail to enable the
authority to identify and locate the information, then the authority must
respond to the clarified request within a new 20 working day time limit
with the ‘clock’ starting the day after it receives the required
clarification. “

The link for this is:

[1]https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...

In the event where the cost of complying with the request would exceed the
“appropriate level”, which is fixed at £450, as stated in the Freedom of
Information Regulations 2004, it is the policy of the PSNI to close the
request. You will however be notified of this decision and given an
opportunity to refine and resubmit the request.

If your request requires either full or partial transference to another
public authority in order to answer your query, again, you will be
notified.

If you have any queries regarding your request please write or contact the
Corporate Information Branch on 028 9070 0164. Please remember to quote
the reference number listed above in any future communications with the
Corporate Information Branch.

If you are dissatisfied in any way with the handling of your request, you
have the right to request a review. You should do this as soon as
possible, or in any case within two months of the date of issue of this
letter. In the event that you require a review to be undertaken, you can
do so by writing to the Head of Corporate Information Branch, PSNI
Headquarters, 65 Knock Road, Belfast, BT5 6LE or by emailing
[email address]. 

If following an internal review, carried out by an independent decision
maker, you were to remain dissatisfied in any way with the handling of the
request you may make a complaint, under Section 50 of the Freedom of
Information Act, to the Information Commissioner’s Office and ask that
they investigate whether the PSNI has complied with the terms of the
Freedom of Information Act.  You can write to the Information Commissioner
at Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. In most circumstances the Information
Commissioner will not investigate a complaint unless an internal review
procedure has been carried out, however the Commissioner has the option to
investigate the matter at his discretion.

Yours sincerely,

Gillian

FOI Decision Maker
Corporate Information Branch
PSNI HQ Brooklyn

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References

Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...

Police Service of Northern Ireland

1 Attachment

This e-mail has been marked OFFICIAL [PUBLIC];

Subject:        FOI-2019-01974
24th October 2019

Dear Mr. Aodhan [Name Removed],

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

I refer to your request for information dated 12th August 2019 which was
received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland on 12th August 2019
concerning:

Northern Ireland Border with Republic of Ireland

 

Please find attached response to your request.

 

Yours sincerely

Paddy

FOI Decision Maker
Corporate Information Branch
PSNI HQ Brooklyn

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