Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring:

I will start the ball rolling. On the annual report, under the legislation we must have the annual report with the Minister by 31 March so we are working day and night at the moment. Then it is a matter for the Department and the Minister to move it on. In the past, we have had delays in that for whatever reason. The danger is that the information we have put forward is out of date by the time it gets into the public arena. That, in effect, makes the annual report less impactful. The sooner the Department - whichever the Department supervising each ombudsman is - releases the report, the sooner it is available for public consumption, critique and information. In terms of any statutory requirement, I would be anxious that the Department to which the report goes should move quickly. We have noticed the Department has gotten better in that regard. If there is a slippage, somebody should be in a position to shortly afterwards question the relevant Department on why it has not published the annual report. I will let Mr. Tyndall take the question on referral to the Ombudsman and decisions of the Ombudsman.