Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

As many Senators know, there are advisory bodies in the Department that come together on an ad hoc basis. We have always been of the view that quality customer service is vital. One of the difficulties with Committee Stage is that there has been a pre-emptive strike on what I wish to do.

Within the General Registers Office we are now monitoring the levels of service delivery against defined, published targets and obtaining feedback from customers on service delivered and future service requirements. That is an integral part of the commitment on the delivery of quality customer service. It is also proposed to establish a customer consultation framework and from that we would facilitate and encourage customer feedback on the levels and quality of the customer service being provided. It will enable customers to raise any issues or areas of concern, to suggest ways in which the service can be further improved and provide input into the future developments of the service, including the most appropriate use of technology.

The consultative panels are important and we will consult the organisations mentioned by Senator Henry that are in touch with the Department on an ongoing basis when it comes to the future of our service delivery. We will establish a customer service side and a professional side to look at the family genealogy side of service delivery as well as the normal service delivery.

The panels established in the Department in recent years have been excellent. People are chosen randomly and invited to participate in a forum. They are asked about the service that is being provided and to give their views on its service. There is good interaction between the staff of the Department and the customer and most people have enjoyed the opportunity to give their views. The Department recognises that there is a specialised group with a particular interest in the running of the General Registers Office that we would want to give it an opportunity to interact on a regular basis with the Department.

I do not like establishing statutory advisory bodies, however, because they often go beyond their remit and lose sight of the genuine concerns that would be raised in the Houses. I prefer a more targeted approach through the service delivery models. That is why it took so long to get this legislation ready — the consultation that took place was time consuming and widespread. There is good interaction between the organisations and the General Registers Office. The ethos of the amendment is being addressed in the proposals I have made in the Department.