PicB Waterford County Council received 14 formal direct complaints from people who  felt they were unfairly treated by the local authority in 2012, according to the  County Council’s annual report.

The complaints were dealt with by the in-house complaints system in the Council  and a further three complaints were received from the Office of the Ombudsman.

Waterford County Manager Denis McCarthy said a full response was issued to each  complaint and all issues were deemed to have been closed at the end of the year.

The Council received 24 requests from members of the general public for  information under the Freedom of Information Act. Eleven requests were granted,  five were part- granted and one was withdrawn.

Four requests were refused by the Council as the specified records did not exist  and the information was available outside the freedom of information legislation.  No decisions were appealed either through the Council by the Information Officer.

The Council disclosed that a total of 185 complains were logged in respect of non-compliance with planning permission and the conditions attached to planning.

The unauthorised development covered unauthorised use of structures, and unfinished housing estates. Inspections were carried out to 35 quarries and 13 were deemed to be unauthorised and 15 were ordered to cease operations.

A total of 35 warning letters were issued in relation to offences that did not warrant enforcement notices. This represented an increase of 40 per cent on the previous year.

The Council issued 65 enforcement orders in respect of offences that were considered serious and required urgent action.