Thread: Why people 'ratted out' their neighbours during the hosepipe ban. One resident in Cork said their neighbour was using water to wash their yacht. All these from a database obtained under #FOIA from #IrishWater
On Day One of the ban in Fingal, one person called to say their neighbour had been filling up a large pool and emptying it continuously over the past few days:
Also in Fingal, somebody reported to be using their hosepipe to wash twenty carpets in their front garden:
In South Dublin, a resident reported to be filling up their jacuzzi:
In Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, somebody deliberately running a hose directly from their toilet cistern into a drain just to waste water on purpose:
In Co Wicklow, an apparent scam involving partially wetting driveways to try and get residents to get them fully cleaned. Also lots more reports of super-size inflatable pools getting filled:
In Tipperary, somebody filling a pool that they've now left unattended and is overflowing:
Another person filling a 5,000 litre swimming pool and another man washing his boat in Co Mayo:
And where did most of the water wastage reports come from?
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Thread: A TD claimed to have secretly photographed staff working at Leinster House to gather “evidence” some were not wearing masks.
During the same incident, another TD told a staff member asked to monitor public health compliance they were like the “morality police” in Iran.
In an email, one of the compliance staff made an official complaint asking if the matter should be notified to the Data Protection Commission (@DPCIreland).
TD had claimed to have surreptitiously photographed 16 staff, 14 of whom he said were not wearing masks.
A few days later, the official involved was told that “one particular Deputy” would be spoken to while letters would issue to two others.
They were told their “willingness to undertake these duties” was appreciated. The email was sent at 00:42.
A high-level group of the most senior civil servants in the country were given the ball ... and they ran away with it.
It was their work that began discussion over vexatious requests, "trawling", and fees to help shut FOI down. It's all in black and white in the records:
The hand-written note in this one says: "This is key. There will be criticism of this."
Again, this is the work of the civil service, not Cabinet.
As long as you remain silent on this issue and don't raise it with your local TD or Senator, nothing is going to change. This is about much more than political pensions ... this is just the latest phase in an unraveling of our Freedom of Information Act:
There are people within government who believe access to information about how our state operates has gone too far. Bit by bit, they are chipping away at it. Information that was once freely available is now refused. GDPR is often used as a smokescreen ...
... Separately, there are battles being waged on commercial sensitivity. Exemptions are being much more freely used than in the past. Patently absurd decisions are becoming more and more regular. Delays in answering requests by some public bodies are systematic and there are ...
Thread: Govt paid out €5.23M for new jet amid concerns that Taoiseach & ministers would need to travel abroad at short notice because of Covid-19 or Brexit. "Commercial travel in current developing situation may be unavailable, unreliable, insecure or too risky to contemplate."
Internal records reveal how government was given opportunity to purchase two jets from Pilatus. A senior civil servant said "normal procurement rules need to be relaxed" so that the Irish state could go ahead with buying or leasing the aircraft:
Business case explained that existing government Learjet was purchased in late 2003 and although expected to remain in service for a number of years requires maintenance in the UK or on the continent. (Incidentally, it's currently out for maintenance)