Ms Orla Twomey:

To give an average across all complaints would be misleading. If we get a complaint that is out of remit, it is dealt with very fast. If we get a complaint on which we do some investigation but in respect of which we ultimately decide that there is no need to go further, that involves its own timeframe. Adjudicated complaints, particularly on complex issues relating to, for example, as environmental claims, can take longer not least because we will often go to a third party to get information or advice. In the case of advertising relating to medicines, for example, we might go to the Health Products Regulatory Authority for advice. It is hard to say with specificity, in a way that is not misleading, how long it takes to deal with a complaint.