Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

81. To ask the Minister for Finance if the office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman has experienced a significant increase in complaints received during the Covid-19 pandemic period; the approximate year on year increase or decrease respectively; the financial sectors experiencing the largest number of complaints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10337/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am advised that from the 1 January to end May 2020, the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) received 2,103 complaints. The number of complaints for the same period in 2019 was 2,405.

In March of this year, the FSPO began to receive small numbers of complaints which included COVID-19 as an element of the complaint. At the end of May 2020, the FSPO had received 100 complaints that have been identified as relating to COVID-19. 70% of the complaints identified as relating to COVID-19 concern insurance, with 23% relating to banking and 7% relating to other sectors.

As with all complaints, the complaint must first be made to the financial service provider to allow the financial service provider to deal with the complaint in the first instance. If a complaint is not resolved by the financial services provider, a complaint can then be made to the FSPO.