Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

No. 4 is the Financial Services Ombudsman bi-annual review of June 2013. I emphasise to members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery that all mobile telephones must be switched off to avoid interference with the broadcasting of the meeting. I welcome Mr. William Prasifka. It is his first time before the committee since his appointment. He is joined by Ms Jacqui McCrum, Deputy Financial Services Ombudsman, Mr. Diarmuid Byrne, head of administration, Mr. Tom Finn, head of legal services and Ms Mary Rose McGovern, head of investigation. Mr. Prasifka and his colleagues are here at the invitation of the committee to discuss the 2013 bi-annual review of the Financial Services Ombudsman. The committee will be particularly interested to explore the statistics and trends reported in the review, such as, for example, the sharp decrease in the number of complaints made to the ombudsman, which seems positive although there has been at the same time an increase in the number of complaints requiring full formal investigation.
We also welcome the opportunity to discuss the way in which the relationship between the ombudsman and the financial services providers has been developing and whether this is resulting in better outcomes for consumers of financial services. Members of the committee will, no doubt, have questions on the experience of the ombudsman regarding complaints concerning the mortgage arrears resolution process. The committee will discuss this matter with the banks and organisations representing their customers in a series of meetings in early April. We will begin with opening remarks from Mr. Prasifka. Following that, members may put questions to the Financial Services Ombudsman.
By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in respect of a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.