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Sligo County Council to launch inquiry over porn emails

Sligo County Council has demanded an inquiry into claims that pornographic images were sent by its officials via email to FAS staff. See SligoToday.ie 17/9/12

A spokesman said the council has asked for details of relevant emails involving the local authority and FAS.

A report identified the Sligo council as one of the local authorities involved in the distribution of pornographic material by its staff to workers with the job creation agency.

The report said an audit conducted by FAS uncovered a large amount of pornographic and other inappropriate images shared by email with government agencies, and four local authorities -- Sligo County Council, Fingal, South Dublin and Kerry County.

Councils were said to have sent inappropriate material via email to FAS.

However, a Sligo council spokesman said it wanted details from FAS before launching its own internal inquiry.

Meanwhile the Irish Independent also reported that FAS staff who distributed thousands of pornographic images at the beleaguered state agency could now face the sack.

Thousands of images were sent and received by workers at Fas, including some containing "graphic nudity, focus on genitalia or suggestive poses", as well as "sexual acts including foreplay and self-sex".

However, a leading labour lawyer said last night that the circulation of pornography amounts to "gross misconduct" and would entitle any employer, including the Government, to sack those responsible.

"Those that sourced the material, created an email, and sent it on are guilty of a sackable offence," said Jonathan Cosgrove, of Farrells Solicitors in Dublin.

"It's behaviour that is beyond what is considered reasonable. The people who sourced this information were guilty of gross misconduct and abuse of the email; not the people who then forwarded it on," he added.

"The fact that this happened some time ago doesn't matter. If these people are still employed by the state and if there is hard evidence against them, then it's a sackable offence.''

Inappropriate

"They could still proceed against them. It could be construed by the employer that circulating pornographic images as gross misconduct."

The audit found that almost 4pc of all reported content in Fas mailboxes was classified as "highly inappropriate".

A FAS spokesperson refused to state last night whether any member of staff had been suspended or dismissed as a result of the investigation.

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