In 2025, I submitted a freedom of information request to South Dublin County Council to ask why the cost of the publicly funded river Poddle flood alleviation scheme had gone from 7 to 21 million euros. I received the following in response:
The standard of the response is extremely poor. To account for the spending of millions more of public money on flood works, what I receive is more akin to a ‘shopping list’. No budget is associated with any of the list’s items as if we were discussing a mere few hundred euros extra spending. It makes me think of my own experience of spending public money as a researcher: not long ago I applied for the reimbursement of a 70 euros night accommodation which was necessary to conduct fieldwork. To date, the reimbursement is refused to me on the basis that I cannot provide enough evidence that the night away was linked to my researcher’s work. It makes me think of how the use of our public money is embedded in high levels of inequality regarding accountability requirements. Further to this first response, I decide to submit a second freedom of information request concerning two items of the list: the “extra tree removal” and “allowance for compensation and land acquisition” items. Here is the response I receive this time:
In response, I send another email asking why the information I received is so openly contradictory and never receive anything else after that. So I give up!