21 October 2025
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole MLA has challenged the Finance Minister on how he will fund compensation following the PSNI data breach.
It comes after the Treasury rejected a request from the Department of Finance to cover the roughly £120m needed for compensation.
The SDLP Opposition secured an urgent question to the Finance Minister in the Assembly on Tuesday.
South Belfast MLA Matthew O’Toole said:
“This situation is a total shambles. The Treasury rejected this ask last November - so what exactly have the Finance and Justice Ministers been doing for the past year? It appears they simply tried the same thing again and are now out of ideas.
“This compensation will have to be paid. PSNI officers and staff had their private data leaked into the public domain, posing an ongoing security risk and enormous stress for those affected and their families. That’s before we even get to the additional £200m required to address officer numbers.
“It’s not acceptable that the only plan the Finance Minister has is to ‘press the Treasury again’ after being told no twice. Executive Ministers were elected to govern, and that includes making tough decisions. Blaming the UK Government is wearing very thin, it’s time Ministers took some responsibility.”