Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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102. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to delays in the Ombudsman’s office processing complaints, due to lack of adequate staffing; his plans to assign further staff to this office; his views that the office responsible for investigating, among other things, delays in other public bodies, should not itself be subject to excessive delays in its own investigations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9725/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am advised that the Office of the Ombudsman carefully monitors the numbers of complaints it has on hand as well as the timelines required for concluding its examination of cases.  I am informed that the Ombudsman is taking steps to ensure that the majority of those who make complaints to his Office have their cases concluded in a very short timeframe, while at the same time particular attention is being paid to the relatively small numbers of complaints that have been with the Office for more than nine months.  I understand that the Ombudsman's Office received more complaints in 2014 than in 2013.  I also understand that a number of experienced staff in the Office retired during 2014. I can confirm that my Department sanctioned the replacement of the staff who have retired.  Some of the replacement staff have yet to take up duty.  I am informed that, notwithstanding this temporary reduction in its staffing complement during 2014, the Office processed an increased number of complaints in 2014 in comparison to 2013. I am satisfied that adequate resources are being provided to the Office of the Ombudsman to fully carry out its duties. I should add that my Department has provided for an increase in the staffing of the Office in 2015 in order to permit it to deal with a foreseen rise in the numbers of complaints on foot of the recent expansion in the Ombudsman's remit.