Page 15 - Council Journal Autumn 2019

FEATURE FOI for Public Sector Organisations TCertificate in Freedom of
Information - PAI
codes of practice (including exemptions and exclusions), is a priority for all FOI bodies. While it may seem as an extra burden to these organisations, the legislation is incredibly beneficial to the public who they serve. Public Affairs Ireland are delighted to announce dates for our Certificate in Freedom of Information, accredited by the Institute of Commercial Management. This training programme is delivered by industry experts, both lawyers and public sector advisors.
Certificate in Freedom of Information – 23 October 2019
Public Affairs Ireland Offices, Dublin 1
https://www.pai.ie/events/certificate- freedom_of_information_1-5day_course/
he rules and requirements of the FOI legislation bodies are complex, requiring a thorough understanding of legislation
public bodies for the amendment of personal information in records held by them (providing the information held is incomplete, incorrect or misleading.
Freedom of Information in Public Sector Organisations
and the systems to fully comply with it.
The Act also obliges public bodies to publish information about themselves, the information they hold, and the internal guidelines and precedents they use in decision-making, as well as proactively publishing information of relevance or interest to the public which would routinely be accessible by way of a FOI request. As a Public Body with FOI obligations, high expectations are set by the Government and the public at large. Equipping public sector staff with the knowledge and skill set to address FOI requests efficiently and in line with
So, who is obliged to implement the FOI act and how do you know you’re implementing it correctly?
The FOI Act states that all FOI organisations (Public Sector Organisations including Government Departments, Universities and Utilities) are all subject to Freedom of Information requests and establishes the right, amongst others, for members of the public to: be granted access to records held by public bodies (subject to exemptions and exclusions) apply to
Wastewater Treatment
A recent research project by Trinity College, NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) looked at the challenge of waste water treatment options for one off housing projects. The project is part of the ongoing EPA Research Programme 2014 - 2020.
he domestic wastewater of effluent discharge to ground, in Community and Local Government one-third of the population in conjunction with surface water (DECLG)/Environmental Protection Ireland is treated on site by discharges generally not being licensed Agency (EPA). Other possible effluent domestic wastewater treatment for one-off housing, means that many disposal options were investigated
systems, of which more than 87% are areas have been deemed unsuitable for strategically using Geographic septic tanks. single house development. To address Information Systems (GISs) with
It is estimated that the overall these problematic areas and allow collated information to assess their proportion of the country with development, the so-called legacy sites feasibility and overall sustainability in inadequate conditions for DWWTSs, is that are now starting to be assessed areas of inadequate percolation. This 39% (EPA, 2013). If situated and under the National Inspection Plan, information was also used to develop a constructed incorrectly, the potential alternative wastewater treatment and web-based GIS decision support toolset impacts of such on-site effluent disposal options are needed. that will allow environmental planners treatment systems include the pollution The aims of this extensive research and managers to evaluate alternative
of groundwater and/or surface water. project were to (1) assess the strategies from both cost–benefit and In particular, areas with inadequate performance of and the risk of pollution environmental sustainability
percolation and/or insufficient attenuation because of high water tables and shallow subsoils present the greatest challenge in Ireland for dealing with effluent from DWWTSs.
from existing septic tank soakaway systems in a range of subsoil permeabilities and (2) identify alternative disposal options and investigate their suitability for areas of low-permeability subsoils.
perspectives.
A full copy of the research report can
If there is insufficient permeability in the subsoil to take the effluent load, ponding and breakout of untreated or partially treated effluent at the surface may occur and this is associated with serious health risks. Alternatively, if the permeability of the subsoil is excessive, the effluent loading on the subsoil is too high or there is an insufficient depth of unsaturated subsoil, then the groundwater beneath a percolation area is at risk of pollution.
research/water/researchreport161. html
The specification (EPA, 2009) of a lower limit to subsoil permeability for
have been used to propose design criteria and to determine the operating limits for these systems, in an Irish context, for consideration by the Department of the Environment,
Council Journal 15
The options considered and assessed by the project in a series of field studies
The EPA Research Programme addresses the need for research in Ireland to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on a range of questions in relation to environmental protection. These reports are intended as contributions to the necessary debate on the protection of the environment and may inform policy decisions in the domestic wastewater area. Participation in this project does not imply unanimous agreement with all findings among participants.
were:
1. pressurised distribution systems
and
2. sealed basin evapotranspiration
(ET) systems.
The results obtained from these trials
be accessed here: https://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/