Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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998. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the customer complaints received by her Department in each of the years since 2016; if the complaints are grouped into categories; the nature of the complaints; the resolution of same; and the number progressed to the relevant Ombudsman in each of the years since 2016. [1866/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department’s procedures for dealing with customer complaints are detailed in the Department’s Customer Service Action Plan and Charter, which is available on my Department's website. If a complaint is made by customer it is dealt with by the Unit of my Department responsible for the issue to which the complaint relates.

If the complaint is not resolved by the Unit to the satisfaction of the customer, they may contact the Department’s Customer Services Officer who will liaise with the customer and the Unit involved, to resolve the matter if possible.

Under the Action Plan and Charter referred to above, a complaint is formally logged by the Department when a customer contacts the Customer Services Officer in relation to an unresolved complaint, and requests that Officer to intervene to resolve the matter.

In the years 2016 to 2018, no such requests were received by the Customer Services Officer of my Department, and as such no complaints were escalated to any of the relevant Offices of the Ombudsman.