Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has been found in breach of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in relation to dog breeding licences.
The ruling by the Information Commissioner was issued on January 15, and related to a FOI request made in October 2024 seeking records on the licensing of dog breeding establishments.
While most information was eventually released, a small number of hard-copy documents could not be provided as they had been inadvertently destroyed during a data compliance audit. The Commissioner also found the Council failed to respond within the statutory 20-day timeframe.
Although the Commissioner accepted the Council’s explanation that the breach arose from an internal oversight and noted efforts to recover the information, this decision follows a series of adverse rulings against the Council.
Previous notices raised serious concerns over the destruction of records, delayed responses and the incorrect use of commercial sensitivity exemptions.
No further action was required in this case as all remaining information had been disclosed.
Here is the full statement issued by the Council this morning (Monday, January 26):
On 15 January 2026, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council received a Decision Notice from the Information Commissioner regarding how the Council had dealt with a Freedom of Information (FoI) request made in October 2024.
The request was for information relating to the licensing of dog breeding establishments in the district. The requested documentation was provided to the person requesting the information, however, it was not possible to supply a small number of hard copies of documents as these had been inadvertently destroyed as part of a data compliance audit in line with the Council’s Records Management Policy.
The Information Commissioner found the Council to be in breach of the Freedom of Information Act as the Council was unable to disclose all the information held at the time the request was made and did not provide a response within the statutory timescale of 20 days.
The Commissioner stated that he is satisfied with the Council’s explanation that this error arose from an internal oversight, and that the Council undertook extensive work to recover as much of the requested information as possible to provide to the complainant.
The Commissioner concluded that he is satisfied that the Council has now provided the information it holds within the scope of the original information request and that no further steps are required of the Council.
