A WATCHDOG has upheld more than 80 complaints against Stormont executive departments for failing to comply with Freedom of Information laws.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which regulates FOI compliance, has over the years upheld a total of 81 complaints, partly upheld a further nine and rejected 64, according to figures on its website.
It means almost 60 per cent of complaints against the Northern Ireland Executive were upheld or party upheld by the information watchdog.
The department with largest number of upheld complaints was the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) with 23.
Under the new departmental structures introduced in 2016, the Department for Communities was the subject of the most upheld complaints with seven.
Stormont's handling of FOI laws has come under scrutiny this month after the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service admitted some meetings were not minuted in order to avoid FOI disclosures.
David Sterling said the DUP and Sinn Féin were "sensitive to criticism" and it was "safer" not to have a record which might be released through FOI requests.
His comments during the RHI inquiry were branded "scandalous" and the two largest parties faced calls to explain his claims.
Sinn Féin insisted its ministers would "under no circumstances" instruct civil servants not to record minutes. The DUP said it would not comment while the Renewable Heat Incentive probe continues its work.
The ICO has expressed concern over Mr Sterling's remarks, saying it intends to contact him "as a matter of urgency".
FOI legislation was introduced in 2000 and gives people a right of access to an array of information held by public bodies.
The Northern Ireland Executive publishes an annual statistics report on its handling of FOI requests.
The report for 2017 is due to be published later this year.
In 2016, more than a quarter of processed requests to the executive departments were not answered within the permitted time limit.
The Department for the Economy had the poorest record of answering FOI requests on time at 21 per cent, followed by about 50 per cent for The Executive Office, formally known as OFMDFM.
Almost 130 internal reviews of the departments' FOI decisions were requested, with two-thirds being answered on time.
Northern Ireland has not had a power-sharing government in place for more than a year amid political deadlock, with civil servants instead running executive departments.
The 2016 report was released last year in the absence of an executive, but the 10-page document contained less statistical information than the reports released in previous years.
Asked why the report's format had been changed, the Executive Office was unable to respond.
In 2016, The Irish News reported how FOI campaigners had expressed concern over responses only being released in some executive departments upon approval from ministers' special advisers.