Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the measures he is taking to ensure that all public bodies under his remit are informing dissatisfied complainants that they have a right of recourse to the Ombudsman. [30462/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department's Customer Service Action Plan 2009-2011 and the associated Customer Charter affirm my Department's commitment to the delivery of high quality services to all customers. The Plan puts a strong emphasis on evaluation and feedback from our customers. A robust complaints procedure has been established and is communicated widely for all of our customers including on the Department's website. Likewise, my Department makes it clear to customers that if they are not satisfied with the outcome of my Department's complaints procedures, they are entitled to contact the Office of the Ombudsman and full contact details for Office are also available on the Department's website.

My Department is supported by a range of bodies under its aegis as well as 34 city and county local authorities. Specifically in relation to local authorities, in 2005, Customer Complaints - Guidelines for Local Authorities were produced by the Local Government Customer Service Group, representative of my Department, local authorities, the Office of Local Authority Management and the Institute of Public Administration. The guidelines draw on best practice both internationally and in Ireland and identify the key principles and features of an effective complaints system. This includes that where a complainant is unhappy with the outcome of the local authority's internal complaints process, he/she should be advised of his/her right to refer the case to the Office of the Ombudsman, where appropriate.

The other partner bodies under the aegis of the Department are for the most part non-commercial, undertaking quasi-judicial/ regulatory, advisory and developmental functions. All of these bodies are committed to the provision of a high quality customer service and have introduced measures such as consultation processes, Customer Charters and Customer Service Action Plans as well as complaints procedures, where appropriate. The majority of these bodies are not currently regarded as reviewable agencies within the scope of the existing Ombudsman legislation. The Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008 which is before the Houses of the Oireachtas will, when enacted, mean that a number of bodies under my Department's remit will be regarded as reviewable agencies. My Department will work with these bodies to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities with regard to their customers and to the Ombudsman legislation.