Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to whom a complaint regarding a county enterprise board should be made (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10736/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Each County Enterprise Board is required to operate an objective formal complaints procedure which forms part of the Board’s on-going commitment to customer service. Dissatisfaction with the level or type of assistance offered by a CEB should, in the first instance, be brought to the attention of the Board, usually through the Chief Executive Officer. Any complaint against a CEB can be investigated under the formal complaints procedure by which each Board operates. By bringing this matter to the attention of the CEB, it will enable the CEB to initiate a formal investigation, in accordance with their agreed procedures, into all relevant aspects of the case. If a client is dissatisfied with the response to the initial investigation, then the complainant may bring the matter to the attention of the Chairman of the Board. The Board of Directors will then review the matter and make a decision within a set timeframe, typically seven working days.

Until last year, the Ombudsman had no function in relation to the CEBs. However, the Government has extended the Ombudsman Act to encompass a wider range of public bodies, including the CEBs. The Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012 was signed into law by the President on 31st October 2012 and provides that the additional public bodies coming under the Ombudsman’s remit will do so six months from the date of enactment, i.e., on 1 May 2013, unless the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform specifies an earlier date by Order.

Accordingly, with effect from 1st May 2013, the Ombudsman will have the power to examine the administrative actions of the CEBs in respect of complaints about actions which occur on or after that date, once the complaint has progressed through the procedures implemented by the CEB.

I trust this clarifies the matter and clears up any confusion that may have arisen.