Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Finance the measures that he has taken to reduce the number of citizens who are forced to have recourse to the Ombudsman's office due to their failure to receive satisfactory responses from public bodies. [37104/06]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Finance the measures that he has taken to reduce the number of significant delays that the Ombudsman has encountered in seeking replies from public bodies to her investigations on behalf of complainants. [37105/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together.

Many State Services now have Customer Service Charters and Internal Appeal mechanisms available and these should operate both to reduce the need for recourse to the Ombudsman's Office and, where a complaint is nevertheless made to that Office, to ensure a prompt reply to it. In the case of the civil service, my Department introduced a Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour in September 2004 which sets out the principles that should govern the behaviour of civil servants and the standards and values that the Civil Service wishes to espouse. The Code now forms part of civil servants' terms and conditions of service. The code builds on the principles set out in "The Ombudsman's Guide to Standards of Best Practice for Public Servants". It includes requirements that civil servants must maintain high standards in service delivery by conscientiously, honestly and impartially serving the Government of the day, the other institutions of the State and the public, by performing their duties with efficiency, diligence and courtesy and that they must observe appropriate behaviour at work by dealing with the public sympathetically, fairly and promptly. A copy of the Code is available on my Department's Personnel Code web-site at www.codpearsanra.gov.ie. As regards delays I would add that, if the Ombudsman encounters delay in the investigation of a complaint in a public body, I understand her officials raise the matter direct with the body concerned, and it is a matter for that body to respond appropriately. No instance of undue delay by my Department in responding to the Ombudsman's Office has been brought to my attention.