Best Small Country

Best Small Country
No discretion accepted, it's your job site.logo undefined Mel McWeeney

No discretion accepted, it's your job



Dear Mr. Tyndall, Peter Tyndall Peter Tyndall Office of the Ombudsman Irish Office of the Ombudsman The Irish Ombudsman Office of the Information Commissioner Standards in Public Office Commission Investigates complaints about public officials. 18 Lower Leeson Street Dublin D02 HE97 Ireland (1890)253238 (01)6395689 (01)6395674 (01)6395676 Dáil Éireann The Government of Ireland Kildare Street Dublin Ireland

I am utterly disgusted with the response to my formal complaint, issued to your office by registered post on 15th June 2017, which entirely, and I believe deliberately, mischaracterised the nature of my grievances, as being a request for a review of the decision made by Longford County Council. It is much deeper than that.

Consequently, I have not quoted the reference number communicated to me by Patricia Kenna Patricia Kenna Patricia Kenna patricia.kenna@ombudsman.gov.ie Peter Tyndall Peter Tyndall Peter Tyndall Office of the Ombudsman Irish Office of the Ombudsman The Irish Ombudsman Office of the Information Commissioner Standards in Public Office Commission Investigates complaints about public officials. 18 Lower Leeson Street Dublin D02 HE97 Ireland (1890)253238 (01)6395689 (01)6395674 (01)6395676 Dáil Éireann The Government of Ireland Kildare Street Dublin Ireland on 16th June 2017, as by doing so, I would be conceding this matter to be a regular case like any other on your books. Neither do I accept, as alluded to, that there is an element of discretion regarding whether or not to accept my application. I previously quoted official information that clearly states that this is precisely your function.

At a cursory glance, as well as being a member of SIPO, you hold office as Ombudsman, Information Commissioner and Commissioner for Environmental Information. All of these are listed on http://foi.gov.ie/all-foi-bodies/ and are positions of trust involving elements of watchdog and oversight, and are subject to Freedom of Information legislation. You are well rewarded by the state for providing these functions with stable salary and pension, regardless of performance.

As an ordinary law-abiding citizen of this country, it is not my duty or function to call to account, those who are supposed to call others to account, and do so as a free service. At the same time, all who I have named in my affidavit, including yourself, continue to squander as much of my time and energy as humanly possible.

I am very curious as to how it is proposed that my real grievances be addressed. I have been asked to provide email and telephone contact details in the response from your office. These details are already at your offices in the files L30/13/1493 (examination) and L30/13/1772 (appeal). Even had they not been, there would still be communication difficulties because my emails are quarantined and do not reach addresses @longfordcoco.ie, which would prevent me copying them on any communication with this office.

Given the nature of the primary grievances, against Longford County Council and the Office of the Ombudsman, it is impossible for me to fathom how the required investigation would practically proceed. As I understand it, the functions you perform are all done from the same address, and with the same pool of staff. While I am clear that each of these functions are legally separate, I can’t visualise how co-workers could go possibly together for coffee, and then return to investigate each other, and you investigate yourself!

So as to be absolutely clear, and so as to not misconstrue outstanding matters, I repeat my issues yet again:

As a matter of natural justice, I am also formally requesting that a false and defamatory report, sent to the Office of the Ombudsman in 2013, be provided to me for correction.

To be absolutely clear, Longford Co. Co. have displayed two fingers to both the spirit and the letter of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. It is your brief to to ensure that FOI bodies comply with the provisions of the legislation, so it is incumbent on you to take corrective action. There must be no exemptions for lies.

Finally, had a pre-paid envelope been actually provided, I would still have elected to register this letter.