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Thursday 27 February 1997

Thursday 27 February 1997

Office of the Ombudsman

Press Release

The Office of the Ombudsman has issued a Statement of Strategy 1997 - 1999 which sets out the Ombudsman's priorities for the next three years. The Ombudsman, Kevin Murphy, says that, with the support of the Oireachtas, the Office will aim to:

• Strengthen its independence and powers;
• Develop a comprehensive remit across the public service;
• Achieve a high level of public awareness of the Office;
• Continue to earn the respect and co-operation of the agencies within the Office's remit, and
• Contribute to the improvement of standards of public administration.

The Statement of Strategy outlines a number of measures designed to foster the independence of the institution of Ombudsman, ensure that complaints about the Irish public service are handled fairly, make his Office more accessible to the public and further improve the effectiveness of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Kevin Murphy points out that he is required by law to be independent in the exercise of his functions and that he must be able to operate without being influenced by Government action. He welcomes the recommendation of the Constitution Review Group that a new Article be inserted in the Constitution confirming the establishment of the Office of Ombudsman.

He says that the Office of the Ombudsman represents an alternative means of dispute resolution to that offered by the Courts. The Office provides an informal, impartial and non-adversarial means of investigating disputes between the State and its citizens.

The Statement of Strategy is available from the Office of the Ombudsman and is also available on the internet (http://www.irlgov.ie/ombudsman/ )

Enquiries about this statement should be directed to:

David Waddell, Office of the Ombudsman.