Tom Shehan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister brought up this subject, we are giving more powers to the Ombudsman's office yet the Ombudsman's decisions or recommendations are neither binding nor legally enforceable. Would the Minister consider that recommendations and findings by the Ombudsman's office should be binding? I refer to the point he raised in the previous Administration in 2009 about the lost at sea scheme. On that scheme the Ombudsman stated:

I have also found that the design of the Scheme and the manner in which it was advertised was contrary to fair and sound administration. Based on my analysis of all the evidence available to me I am satisfied that these shortcomings were factors in the Byrne family not qualifying for assistance under the Scheme and that they should be granted a remedy for the adverse affect they have suffered as a result of these shortcomings in the Scheme.

I was a member of the committee that investigated this and we went through the Ombudsman's report. The Ombudsman's findings-----