Waterways Ireland
Contents
Overview and Learning Outcomes
The first trial was run with Waterways Ireland. Two very basic problems emerged to counteract the effectiveness of the consultation:
- Insufficient resource allocation
- Complicated legal issue presented on an overly complicated web page
In short, more was learned about what not to do than what to do from this trial.
Context
History of Waterways
Established in 1999 as one of six North/South Implementation Bodies, Waterways Ireland is responsible for inland waterways, principally for recreational purposes throughout Ireland (North and South).
A need for Equality
In 2005, as part of their ‘Equality Quality Assessment' (EQA), Waterways Ireland wished to establish a process of policy-making and screening in order to evaluate and ensure equality in all its policy operations.
Why E-Consultation?
Waterways Ireland decided to embark on an e-consultation process as part of their first Section 75 consultation on this issue. A key reason for adopting e-consultation was to increase engagement with the general public, as well as its usual clients.
