Hi I recently sent a request to the PRONI Office regarding admission records to Middletown Convent, I knew I was under the 100yr rule for releasing documents, I have had them waived before when I requested my Grandma's Asylum records. I am 4yrs under the 100yrs. The records have been found which is great but because we have no First Minister for Ireland and the Dept. Of Communities every request is on hold. This is what Proni replied to me. A search of relevant records held by PRONI has now been completed and I can confirm that we hold certain information in relation to your request.
However, I must inform you that although PRONI does hold the information which you requested, we will be unable to complete your request at the present time, in the absence of the ‘appropriate Northern Ireland Minister’, which is to say, the Minister for the Department for Communities
PRONI has been notified by the Information Commissioner’s Office that the Department for Communities does not have the authority to complete the necessary consultation process with the Responsible Authority for requests for transferred public records in the absence of a Minister, as required under section 15(5) and section 66(2) of the Freedom of Information Act. PRONI will therefore be temporarily suspending FOIA requests until a new Minister has been appointed.
Hope this will soon be rectified, I am so excited to finally have tracked some documents down which will explain more of my Mum's story.
