Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to permit the increase in resources available to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman to deal with the backlog of cases and to deal with the extra number of complaints resulting from the tracker mortgage scandal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9856/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Under section 15(4) of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017 the Ombudsman may appoint staff to his office and determine their duties with the approval of the Minister for Finance and the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) commissioned a Workforce Plan 2019-2023 and submitted the Plan to my Department on 21 December last. This plan includes an analysis of the level of resources currently available to the FSPO against both current and predicted future demand for his services. On 24 January the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council wrote to me supporting the plan.

Officials in my Department have examined the Workforce Plan and there is ongoing consultation with the Ombudsman and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in order to ascertain the best way to deal with the issues raised by the Deputy. I would expect to be making a decision on this shortly.