Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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1207. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of complaints submitted to her Department in 2017 and 2018 and to date in 2019; the number of appeals made with respect to the outcome of such complaints; the number referred to the Office of the Ombudsman; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13775/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department’s procedures for dealing with customer complaints are detailed in its Customer Service Action Plan and Charter, which is available on the Department's website. If a complaint is made by a 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 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019, no such requests were received by the Customer Services Officer of my Department, and as such no complaints were escalated to the Office of the Ombudsman.