Accessibility

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is committed to providing information and services which are accessible to all.

Access under the Disability Act 2005 includes physical access to the SFPA’s offices as well as access to information generally.

See Accessibility Statement and options for the SFPA website

Contacting our Access Officer

The role of our Access Officer is to support each individual who requires assistance when engaging with the SFPA. In accordance with Section 26 of the Disability Act 2005, if you require assistance to access our services, please contact our Access Officer.

You may contact our Access Officer by post, telephone or e-mail. The contact details are as follows:

By post

Access Officer, Corporate Affairs Unit, Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, Park Road, Clogheen, Clonakilty, Co Cork.
Telephone
00353 23 885 9300

By e-mail

SFPAAccessOfficer@sfpa.ie

Making a Complaint

If you wish to make a complaint in relation to access to the SFPA, and its compliance with the terms of the Disability Act 2005, you may do so by sending your complaint to the Inquiry Officer. Complaints must be in writing and sent by post or by email. The contact details are as follows:

By post

Inquiry Officer, Corporate Affairs Unit, Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, Park Road, Clogheen, Clonakilty, Co Cork.

By e-mail

SFPAComplaints@sfpa.ie

Making a complaint on someone’s behalf

The Inquiry Officer responds to complaints made under section 38 of the Disability Act 2005 about SFPA’s possible failure to comply with the Disability Act 2005. To help SFPA’s Inquiry Officer respond to your complaint, it must be in writing and sent by email, post, or delivered to our office.

You or a person on your behalf can make a complaint. Persons who can make a complaint on your behalf are:

• a spouse, partner, parent or relative,
• a guardian or a person acting in loco parentis to that person,
• a legal representative,
• a personal advocate, selected by the Citizens Information Board to represent that person, or
• another person advocating on behalf of that person with his or her consent.

Investigating a complaint under the Disability Act 2005

Once your complaint is received, it is passed to an Inquiry Officer for investigation. The Disability Act 2005 states that a public body must appoint an Inquiry Officer to examine complaints made. It also states that each public body must publish a document with guidelines about how complaints are dealt with.

The Inquiry Officer will acknowledge receipt of the complaint as soon as possible, but no later than five working days after receipt. The Inquiry Officer will examine the complaint to establish if it relates to an alleged failure by the SFPA to comply with Sections 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the Disability Act, 2005. If the complaint is invalid, that is, it does not relate to matters covered by Sections 25 to 28 of the Act, the inquiry officer will so inform the complainant and give supporting reasons and, if possible, he or she will advise the complainant on alternative avenues of redress.

Where the Inquiry Officer considers that the complaint is frivolous or vexatious, he or she will notify the complainant of this determination in writing and provide the complainant with an opportunity to make representations on the matter. Otherwise, he or she will investigate the complaint.

The Inquiry Officer may request further information or details from the person who made the complaint and may require that such information or details be furnished within a maximum of two weeks of being requested. The Inquiry Officer may consult with all parties that he or she considers appropriate regarding the matter and request information, reports or files and any other details from relevant officials. Any information requested must be furnished within a maximum of two weeks of being requested.

In the course of the investigation the Inquiry Officer may undertake interviews with such persons which he or she considers appropriate, including the person who made the complaint, to elicit information. Investigations are carried out in private.

The Inquiry Officer will maintain a written record of his or her investigation. The Inquiry Officer will prepare a written report of the results of the investigation setting out his or her findings together with a determination in relation to:

• whether there has been a failure by the SFPA to comply with the relevant provision of the Disability Act
  and
• where there has been such a failure, the steps to be taken by the SFPA to ensure future compliance with the relevant provision(s) of the Act.

The Inquiry Officer must write a report detailing the results of the investigation. This report is provided to the Executive Chairperson of the SFPA. It is also provided to you and/or the person who made the complaint on your behalf. The report must show what the Inquiry Officer found and decided about your complaint. If the Inquiry Officer decides that your complaint is valid, the report must also outline what the SFPA should now do to fix this problem.

The Inquiry Officer will complete his/her report within 20 working days from the receipt of all required information, including additional information requested from the complainant. Where information is not readily available, this deadline may be extended. If that were to happen, the Inquiry Officer will inform the complainant at the earliest opportunity and provide a revised date by which the report will be provided.

Fees

There is no charge for making a complaint about access.

Appeals to the Ombudsman

We hope that we have been able to resolve your complaint satisfactorily. However, if you remain unhappy with our response then you can refer your complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is impartial and free to use.
The Ombudsman will ask you for details of your complaint and to provide a copy of this letter (our final response to your complaint). The best way to do this is through:

• ‘Make A Complaint’ at www.ombudsman.ie

You can also write to: Office of the Ombudsman, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 W772 or call 01 636 5600 if you have any queries.

If, after investigation, the Ombudsman finds an issue with how your complaint was handled, s/he may recommend that the public body:

• takes another look at your complaint
• takes certain actions to make things better
• explains its actions to the Ombudsman

There is no charge for making a complaint to the Ombudsman.

Inrochtaineacht

Tá an tÚdarás um Chosaint Iascaigh Mhara (SFPA) tiomanta d'eolas agus do sheirbhísí a sholáthar a bhfuil rochtain ag cách orthu.

Áirítear le rochtain faoin Acht um Míchumas, 2005 rochtain fhisiciúil ar oifigí ÚCIM chomh maith le rochtain ar fhaisnéis go ginearálta.

Féach an Ráiteas maidir le hInrochtaineacht agus na roghanna do shuíomh Gréasáin ÚCIM
 

Déan teagmháil lenár nOifigeach Rochtana

Is é ról ár nOifigeach Rochtana ná tacú le gach duine a dteastaíonn cúnamh uathu agus iad i mbun teagmhála le ÚCIM. I gcomhréir le hAlt 26 den Acht um Míchumas, 2005, má theastaíonn cúnamh uait chun rochtain a fháil ar ár seirbhísí, déan teagmháil lenár nOifigeach Rochtana le do thoil.

Féadfaidh tú teagmháil a dhéanamh lenár nOifigeach Rochtana tríd an bpost, ar an teileafón nó trí ríomhphost. Is iad seo a leanas na sonraí teagmhála:

Tríd an bpost

Oifigeach Rochtana, An tAonad Gnóthaí Corparáideacha, An tÚdarás um Chosaint Iascaigh Mhara, Bóthar na Páirce, An Cloichín, Cloich na Coillte, Co. Chorcaí.

Teileafón

00353 23 885 9300

Nó trí ríomhphost

SFPAAccessOfficer@sfpa.ie

Gearán a dhéanamh

Más mian leat gearán a dhéanamh maidir le rochtain ar SFPA, agus maidir le comhlíonadh le théarmaí an Achta um Míchumas, 2005 aige, is féidir leat é sin a dhéanamh trí do ghearán a chur chuig an Oifigeach Fiosrúchán. Ní mór gearáin a bheith i scríbhinn agus a sheoladh tríd an bpost nó le ríomhphost. Is iad seo a leanas na sonraí teagmhála:

Tríd an bpost

Oifigeach Fiosrúchán, An tAonad Gnóthaí Corparáideacha, An tÚdarás um Chosaint Iascaigh Mhara, Bóthar na Páirce, An Cloichín, Cloich na Coillte, Co. Chorcaí.

Nó trí ríomhphost

SFPAComplaints@sfpa.ie

Gearán a dhéanamh thar ceann duine eile

Tugann an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán freagra ar ghearáin arna ndéanamh faoi alt 38 den Acht um Míchumas, 2005 faoi mhainneachtain féideartha ag ÚCIM an tAcht um Míchumas, 2005 a chomhlíonadh. Chun cabhrú le hOifigeach Fiosrúchán ÚCIM freagra a thabhairt ar do ghearán, ní mór é a bheith i scríbhinn agus a sheoladh ar ríomhphost, tríd an bpost nó a thabhairt chun lámha duine in ár n-oifig.

Is féidir leatsa nó duine ag gníomhú ar do shon gearán a dhéanamh. Ar na daoine ar féidir leo gearán a dhéanamh ar do shon tá:

• céile, páirtí, tuismitheoir nó gaol,
• caomhnóir nó duine atá ag gníomhú in loco parentis don duine sin,
• ionadaí dlíthiúil,
• abhcóide pearsanta, roghnaithe ag an mBord um Fhaisnéis do Shaoránaigh chun ionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar an duine sin, nó
• duine eile a dhéanann abhcóideacht thar ceann an duine sin lena thoiliú nó lena toiliú

Gearán faoin Acht um Míchumas, 2005 a imscrúdú

Nuair a fhaightear do ghearán, cuirtear ar aghaidh chuig Oifigeach Fiosrúchán é lena imscrúdú. Deirtear san Acht um Míchumas 2005 go gcaithfidh comhlacht poiblí Oifigeach Fiosrúchán a cheapadh chun gearáin a dhéantar a scrúdú. Luaitear ann freisin go gcaithfidh gach comhlacht poiblí doiciméad a fhoilsiú ina bhfuil treoirlínte faoin gcaoi a ndéileáiltear le gearáin.

Admhóidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán go bhfuarthas an gearán a luaithe is féidir, ach tráth nach déanaí ná cúig lá oibre tar éis é a fháil. Scrúdóidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán an gearán le fáil amach an mbaineann sé le líomhaint gur theip ar ÚCIM Ailt 25, 26, 27 agus 28 den Acht um Míchumas, 2005 a chomhlíonadh. Má bhíonn an gearán neamhbhailí, is é sin, nach mbaineann sé le hábhair a cumhdaítear le hAilt 25 go 28 den Acht, cuirfidh an t-oifigeach fiosrúchán an méid sin in iúl don ghearánach agus tabharfaidh sé nó sí cúiseanna tacaíochta agus, más féidir, cuirfidh sé nó sí comhairle ar an ngearánach maidir le bealaí eile sásaimh.

Sa chás go measann an tOifigeach Fiosrúchái go bhfuil an gearán suaibhreosach nó cráiteach, cuirfidh sé nó sí an cinneadh sin in iúl don ghearánach i scríbhinn agus tabharfaidh sé nó sí deis don ghearánach uiríll a dhéanamh ar an ábhar. In aon chás eile, déanfaidh sé nó sí an gearán a imscrúdú.

Féadfaidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán tuilleadh faisnéise nó sonraí a iarraidh ar an té a rinne an gearán agus d’fhéadfadh go n-iarrfadh sé go gcuirfí an fhaisnéis nó na sonraí sin ar fáil laistigh de dhá sheachtain ar a mhéid ón uair a iarrtar é. Féadfaidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán dul i gcomhairle leis na páirtithe go léir is cuí leis nó léi maidir leis an ábhar agus faisnéis, tuarascálacha nó comhaid agus aon sonraí eile a iarraidh ó oifigigh ábhartha. Ní mór aon fhaisnéis a iarrtar a thabhairt laistigh de dhá sheachtain ar a mhéid ón uair a iarrtar é.

Le linn an imscrúdaithe féadfaidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán agallaimh a dhéanamh le cibé daoine a mheasann sé nó sí a bheith cuí, lena n-áirítear an duine a rinne an gearán, chun faisnéis a fháil. Déantar imscrúduithe go príobháideach.

Coinneoidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúcháin taifead scríofa ar a (h)imscrúdú. Ullmhóidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúcháin tuarascáil scríofa ar thorthaí an imscrúdaithe ina leagfar amach ac(h)uid torthaí mar aon le cinneadh maidir le:

• • cibé ar theip ar ÚCIM an fhoráil ábhartha den Acht um Míchumas
     a chomhlíonadh agus
  • i gcás ina bhfuil mainneachtain den sórt sin ann, na céimeanna atá le glacadh ag ÚCIM chun a chinntiú go gcomhlíonfar na forálacha ábhartha den Acht amach anseo.

Ní mór don Oifigeach Fiosrúchán tuarascáil a scríobh ina sonraítear torthaí an imscrúdaithe. Cuirtear an tuarascáil seo ar fáil do Chathaoirleach Feidhmiúcháin ÚCIM. Cuirtear ar fáil é duitse freisin agus/nó don duine a rinne an gearán ar do shon. Ní mór an méid a shuígh agus a chinn an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán maidir le do ghearán  a bheith sa tuarascáil sin. Má chinneann an tOifigeach Fiosrúchán go bhfuil do ghearán bailí, ní mór a leagan amach sa tuarascáil freisin na nithe ar cheart do SFPA iad a dhéanamh anois chun an fhadhb sin a réiteach.

Cuirfidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúcháin an tuarascáil i gcrích laistigh de 20 lá oibre ón eolas a theastaíonn a fháil, lena n-áirítear faisnéis bhreise a iarrtar ar an ngearánach. I gcás nach bhfuil faisnéis ar fáil go héasca, féadfar síneadh a chur leis an spriocdháta sin. Dá dtarlódh sé sin, cuirfidh an tOifigeach Fiosrúcháin an gearánach ar an eolas a luaithe is féidir agus soláthróidh sé dáta athbhreithnithe faoina soláthrófar an tuarascáil.

Táillí

Ní ghearrtar aon táille as gearán a dhéanamh maidir le rochtain.

Achomhairc chuig an Ombudsman

Tá súil againn gur éirigh linn do ghearán a réiteach chun do shásaimh. Mar sin féin, mura bhfuil tú  sásta fós lenár bhfreagra, féadfaidh tú do ghearán a chur faoi bhráid Oifig an Ombudsman. Tá an tOmbudsman neamhchlaonta agus saor le húsáid.

Iarrfaidh an tOmbudsman ort sonraí do ghearáin agus cóip den litir seo a sholáthar (ár bhfreagra deiridh ar do ghearán). Is é an bealach is fearr chun é sin a dhéanamh ná:

• 'Déan gearán' ag www.ombudsman.ie

Is féidir leat scríobh freisin chuig: Oifig an Ombudsman, 6 Ardán Phort an Iarla, Baile Átha Cliath 2, D02 W772 nó glaoch a chur ar 01 636 5600 má tá aon cheist agat.

Más rud é, tar éis an imscrúdaithe, go measann an tOmbudsman go bhfuil ceist ann maidir leis an gcaoi ar láimhseáladh do ghearán, féadfaidh sé/sí a mholadh don chomhlacht poiblí:

• scrúdú a dhéanamh arís ar do ghearán
• bearta áirithe a ghlacadh chun an scéal a chur ina cheart
• míniú a thabhairt don Ombudsman maidir leis an méid a rinne sé

Ní ghearrtar aon táille as gearán a dhéanamh le hOifig an Ombudsman.