FOI 60-25: Information in regards to the potential rollout of a digital identity (ID) scheme in Northern Ireland

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

28 October 2025
Our ref: FoI 60-25 

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 13 October 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Your request was as follows—

 

“I am writing to request information relating to the potential rollout of a digital identity (ID) scheme in Northern Ireland. This FOI is going to multiple agencies so if you see the call for correspondence between your agency and an agency mentioned below, please consider this as internal correspondence sought. I would like to request the following information:

 

1. Correspondence and discussions:

  • Any correspondence (including emails, meeting minutes, and briefings) between your department and (where applicable) the UK Cabinet Office, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), or the Northern Ireland Office regarding the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) and its potential implementation in Northern Ireland over the last three months.
  • The minutes or summaries of any meetings where the digital ID scheme was discussed with other NI Executive departments or UK government representatives during the last six months.

 

2. Impact assessments and analysis:

  • Copies of any internal impact assessments, risk analyses, or policy evaluations conducted by your department concerning the implications of a digital ID scheme on Northern Ireland's citizens, services, and the economy.

  • Any analysis or considerations related to the impact on the existing patient identity management system, particularly in the case of the Department of Health and the Business Services Organisation (BSO).

 

3. Planning and engagement:

  • Details of any internal working groups, committees, or project teams established to consider or prepare for the rollout of digital IDs.

  • Information on any public engagement, consultation, or stakeholder meetings your department has held or plans to hold on this topic.

 

4. Northern Ireland-specific considerations:

  • Any specific policy or technical considerations your department has raised regarding the digital ID scheme's compatibility with Northern Ireland's unique political and legal landscape.

  • Information regarding discussions with Irish government officials on potential cross-border implications of a digital ID system.

  • Any specific policy or considerations that have been raised by your department or partners pertaining to perceived or potential backlash by residents over this idea?”

 

 

Our response

The Assembly Commission does not hold information relating to the potential rollout of a digital identity ID scheme in Northern Ireland. This would principally be a matter for the UK Government, not the Assembly.  However, the Assembly Commission notes that some information relevant your request may be publicly available

The following motion been tabled for debate on 11 November 2025: “Opposition to the British Government’s Mandatory Digital ID Scheme”

Individual Members may have asked questions of Northern Ireland departments on this matter.  All questions and answers received are published on the Assembly’s website and are searchable.

Members may also have tabled other motions or other types of plenary business on these topics.  All plenary items, including motions, are published on the Assembly’s website, and are searchable.

On this page, you can search all types of plenary business.  If you only want to search motions, choose Motions from the drop-down menu under the heading Plenary Business Type, and click search. If a motion has been debated by the Assembly, a link to the Official Report (Hansard) of that Assembly debate will be included in the search results.

 

Further Information

You may request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission.  If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address.  If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

 

Yours sincerely

Information Standards