Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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105. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of complaints made with regard to the operation and services provided by the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman; if he will consider introducing an independent assessor to consider complaints about the standard of service and practical handling of a case provided by the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11321/23]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) is committed to providing a receptive service that is delivered in an accessible and inclusive manner, and is responsive to the needs of its customers. The FSPO adheres to ‘Our Public Service’, a framework developed by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform for innovation and continuous development in Ireland’s public service.

In 2022, the FSPO received and responded to 59 customer service complaints regarding the operation and services provided by the FSPO, which represents an 11% decrease in the number of customer service complaints received in the previous year (2021). Since 1 January 2023, the FSPO has received 17 customer service complaints.

On the issue of introducing an independent assessor, the FSPO already segregates the management of customer service complaints from operational directorates involved in the management of financial service and pension complaints, instead allocating responsibility for these reviews to an entirely separate and independent strategic process.

The FSPO also operates a and , which outline the standard of service and behaviour underpinning all interactions with customers and describe the FSPO’s policy of encouraging feedback from its customers, evaluating that feedback and, where possible, continuously improving on the quality of service offered.

It is also important to note that one of the functions of the FSPO Council under Section 40 of the FSPO Act 2017 is to keep under review the efficiency and effectiveness of the Ombudsman and to advise myself as Minister, either at my request or on its own initiative, on any matter relevant to the performance of the functions of the Ombudsman.