Kelly: Data breach deal brings Christmas relief for officers

A compensation deal for officers who had their personal details revealed in the PSNI data breach will be welcome relief for officers as we approach Christmas.

The £119 million package was finally signed off by the Northern Ireland Executive after it was prematurely announced last week by the Justice Minister.

PFNI Chair Liam Kelly said: “Thankfully, this deal is now across the line. It will come as welcome relief as we approach Christmas.

“That said, it will be some time before officers see compensation awards. We have six test cases before the Court and they must be concluded first. Awards set by the Court will ‘signpost’ levels of compensation that will be offered to their colleagues.

“There is no one-size-fits all. Some officers have had upsetting, distressing and traumatising experiences on the back of this massive breach. There are colleagues in sensitive posts along with others who went to great pains to keep their employment details confidential who’ve been greatly impacted.

“As with most things, the devil will be in the detail. So far, all we know is that the £119 million has been ringfenced, and that’s progress. What this means in practice has to be explored. We were told by the Justice Minister in her -pre-announcement gaffe last week that compensation would start to be paid in the next financial year (April 2026).

“We welcome this announcement but there remains a long way to go before this unfortunate incident can be put behind us.”