'It's not done and dusted': Naomi Long admits she 'misspoke' by announcing Executive ring-fenced £119m PSNI data breach compensation fund that hasn't been agreed yet
Naomi Long has said she “misspoke” by announcing a £119m PSNI data breach compensation fund she herself admits is “not done and dusted”.
But her words weren’t accepted by a provincewide policing body, which demanded a formal apology to officers while accusing her of “trying to laugh off” the incident.
The Justice Minister yesterday went on BBC Radio’s Stephen Nolan show, stating the Stormont Executive had agreed to ring-fence the money for a breach that exposed the names, ranks and roles of all 9,483 PSNI officers and staff to dissident republicans.
She’d claimed Chief Constable Jon Boutcher would be able to make compensation settlement offers to affected people next year, something that the PSNI’s top officer welcomed – only for it to turn out the fund doesn’t yet exist, as in contrast to her words it hasn’t been signed off by the Executive.
Hours after his initial statement the chief constable was forced to issue a second one registering his disappointment the money still isn’t nailed down.
This morning the Stephen Nolan show broadcast another interview with Mrs Long recorded yesterday afternoon, in which she said moves are in place that are likely to create a £119m compensation fund, but it won’t be confirmed until the Executive can vote on it next week.
“I misspoke,” she told the BBC Radio Ulster show. “I have to be honest with people; when you make a mistake, we all do it, you have to be honest and upfront.
“What I should have said was that we had agreed with the Department of Finance, and that they’d come back and agreed that they’re going to put it to the Executive that the Executive will set that money aside.
"So we will be meeting next week as an Executive to sign that off, and that will be part of the discussion that happens, and hopefully that will go ahead next week.”
The minister added there was “broad agreement” on the fund during “preliminary discussions”, but confirmed the money is not yet “done and dusted”.
Mrs Long also said she’d told the chief constable she “just got carried away as we had so much good news” around a 4.2% pay boost for the PSNI announced this week.
But the Police Federation of Northern Ireland felt a formal apology is needed from the Justice Minister, chair Liam Kelly appearing on the Nolan show in the wake of Mrs Long’s interview to say he “was expecting to hear a bit more remorse” from her.
“I would have welcomed the minister actually apologising; hearing a clear apology to our officers and to our chief constable,” he said, suggesting the minister was “trying to laugh this off” with “a giggly approach to this; it’ll all be OK, don’t worry about it”.
He added: “She needs to say sorry to our officers for putting them in this predicament.”
The data breach saw hidden details on a spreadsheet sent out as part of a freedom of information request reveal the surnames, initials, ranks and roles of all PSNI officers and staff.
A spokesman for the Department of Finance said: “The costs associated with the PSNI data breach will be considered by the Executive. The Finance Minister is committed to working alongside ministerial colleagues to manage this financial pressure.”