Key Service Telephone Numbers
National Fraud Initiative
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council must protect the public money it manages. By law, the Council can share information with other public bodies to help prevent and detect fraud.
The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) checks and audits the Council’s accounts.
What is Data Matching?
Data matching means comparing computer records from different organisations to see if they match. This helps find mistakes or possible fraud.
For example, if two records contain similar information that doesn’t add up, it may show an issue that needs to be checked. However, a match does not always mean fraud has happened, it may simply be an error or another explanation.
The National Fraud Initiative
The National Fraud Initiative (NFI) is a UK-wide project that collects and compares data to find possible fraudulent claims or payments.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council takes part in this initiative to help prevent and detect fraud. The Council must share some personal data with the Comptroller and Auditor General or their representatives.
This is done under the Audit and Accountability (NI) Order 2003, Articles 4A to 4H. Details of the specific data shared are available on the NIAO website.
How Your Data is Used
The Comptroller and Auditor General carries out data matching with legal authority. This means your consent is not required under the Data Protection Act 2018.
To find out more about the Comptroller and Auditor General’s legal powers and how data is used, visit the NIAO website.
For more details on how the Council handles personal data, please read the Council’s Privacy Notice (PDF).
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the National Fraud Initiative, please contact:
Gerard Byrne
Tel: 028 3031 3140,