Annual Report of the Ombudsman 2002

Complaints

Numbers

Received in 2002

3209

Outside Jurisdiction

883

Total within Jurisdiction

2326

Carried forward from 2001

1514

Total on hand for 2002

3840

Completed in 2002

2880

Carried forward to 2003

960

Enquiries

8501

1993

2419

1994

2489

1995

2250

1996

2536

1997

3126

1998

2876

1999

2685

2000

2136

2001

2539

2002

2326

Civil Service

964

Local Authorities

781

Health Boards

489

An Post

92

Total

2326

Brought forward from 2001

Received in 2002

On hands for 2002

Social and Family Affairs

206

398

604

Agriculture and Food

163

186

349

Education and Science

67

96

163

Revenue

57

112

169

Environment and Local Government

17

23

40

Health and Children

8

12

20

Land Registry

3

13

16

Communications, Marine & Nat Resources

13

25

38

Justice, Equality and Law Reform

8

26

34

Enterprise, Trade and Employment

3

4

7

Office of Public Works

6

9

15

Others

24

60

84

Total

575

964

1539

Brought forward from 2001

Received in 2002

On hands for 2002

Carlow

7

7

14

Cavan

9

3

12

Clare*

14

44

58

Cork City Council*

29

33

62

Cork County*

34

40

74

Donegal

20

20

40

Dublin City Council*

40

91

131

Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown

26

33

59

Fingal

20

29

49

Galway City Council*

23

30

53

Galway County*

25

33

58

Kerry

38

25

63

Kildare

23

25

48

Kilkenny

8

8

16

Laois

13

23

36

Leitrim

4

7

11

Limerick City Council*

12

23

35

Limerick County*

13

20

33

Longford

14

4

18

Louth

11

22

33

Mayo*

41

54

95

Meath

17

20

37

Monaghan

1

8

9

North Tipperary

13

20

33

Offaly

9

9

18

Roscommon

14

10

24

Sligo*

10

25

35

South Dublin

19

24

43

South Tipperary

6

12

18

Waterford City Council

3

8

11

Waterford County

8

11

19

Westmeath

10

7

17

Wexford

24

19

43

Wicklow

22

34

56

TOTAL

580

781

1361

Brought forward from 2001

Received in 2002

On hands for 2002

Eastern

1

1

2

Midland

21

34

55

Mid-Western

47

54

101

North Eastern

15

23

38

North Western

13

15

28

South Eastern

43

37

80

Southern

51

61

112

Western

52

71

123

Northern Area

40

73

113

East Coast Area

27

41

68

South Western Area

35

73

108

Eastern Regional Health Authority

1

6

7

Total

346

489

835

Brought forward from 2001

Received in 2002

On hands for 2002

An Post

13

92

105

Total

13

92

105

Old Age & Retirement Pensions

102

Unemployment Payments

54

Disability, Invalidity and Maternity Payments

62

Widows and One Parent Family Payment

30

Fuel Allowance and Free Schemes

23

No Reply to Correspondence

23

Back to work / Education Allowance

11

Carer's Allowance

25

PRSI

10

Occupational Injury Benefit

6

Child Benefit

16

Family Income Supplement

4

Miscellaneous

32

Total

398

REP Scheme

34

Livestock Grants

66

Early Retirement Scheme

25

Disease Eradication Scheme

5

Milk Quota

7

Farm Development Grants

16

No Reply to Correspondence

2

Area Aid

12

Land Commission

2

Miscellaneous

17

Total

186

Higher Education Grants & Fees

29

Delay / Failure to Reply

14

School Transport

8

Examinations

5

Miscellaneous

40

Total

96

Income Tax

80

VAT / Inheritance / CGT

11

Customs and Excise

4

Stamp Duty

1

Miscellaneous

16

Total

112

Housing Loans and Grants

5

Motor Tax/Driving Licence/Driving Test

4

No Reply to Correspondence

6

Miscellaneous

8

Total

23

No Reply to Correspondence

44

General Registrar's Office

1

Drug Payment Scheme

3

Miscellaneous

4

Total

12

Housing

289

Allocations & Transfers

139

Loans & Grants

66

Repairs

55

Sales

26

Rents

3

Planning

170

Enforcement

121

Administration

49

Roads and Traffic

83

Delay - Failure to Reply

82

Waste Disposal

15

Water Supply

13

Sewerage and Drainage

12

Service Charges

23

Motor Tax & Drivers Licence

11

Rates

8

Acquisition of land/rights

7

Access to Information on the Environment

5

Parks/Open Space

5

Miscellaneous

58

Total

781

Supplementary Welfare Allowance

100

Exceptional Needs Payment

37

Rent and Mortgage Allowances

28

Back to School - Clothing/footwear Allowance

12

Miscellaneous

23

Health Services (General)

56

Medical Card

48

Drugs, Medicines and Appliances

8

Hospital Services

118

Nursing Homes/Long Stay

98

Miscellaneous

20

Delay / Failure to reply

32

Hospital Charges

4

Cash Payments (other than SWA)

34

Provision of Service

10

Dental Service

15

Services for the Elderly - Housing Aid

19

Childcare / Social Work Services

13

Miscellaneous

88

Total

489

Carlow

24

Cavan

20

Clare

114

Cork

241

Donegal

64

Dublin

588

Galway

164

Kerry

75

Kildare

50

Kilkenny

30

Laois

59

Leitrim

18

Limerick

121

Longford

19

Louth

51

Mayo

127

Meath

63

Monaghan

21

Offaly

31

Roscommon

31

Sligo

53

Tipperary

88

Waterford

47

Westmeath

32

Wexford

64

Wicklow

69

Outside Republic

62

TOTAL

2326

Complaint Resolved

499

Partially Resolved

58

Assistance Provided

814

Not Upheld

991

Discontinued

491

Withdrawn

27

Total

2880

Resolved

Partially Resolved

Assistance Provided

Discontinued

Withdrawn

Not Upheld

Total Completed

Social and Family Affairs

35

1

157

105

7

232

537

Agriculture and Food

18

4

28

22

3

158

233

Education and Science

16

5

10

17

0

42

90

Revenue

14

2

54

22

0

36

128

Environment and Local Government

8

1

10

7

0

9

35

Health and Children

2

0

7

1

1

0

11

Land Registry

2

0

10

2

0

2

16

Communications, Marine and Natural Resources

2

0

6

2

1

7

18

Justice, Equality and Law Reform

5

0

10

3

0

4

22

Enterprise, Trade and Employment

1

0

4

0

0

2

7

Office of Public Works

4

0

1

2

0

5

12

Others

8

3

11

9

0

15

46

Total

115

16

308

192

12

512

1155

Resolved

Partially Resolved

Assistance Provided

Discontinued

Withdrawn

Not Upheld

Total Completed

Carlow

3

0

5

3

0

0

11

Cavan

4

0

5

0

1

2

12

Clare

7

2

9

3

0

16

37

Cork City Council

16

0

13

6

0

14

49

Cork County

14

1

10

9

0

24

58

Donegal

7

2

8

6

1

9

33

Dublin City Council

20

1

26

31

3

22

103

Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown

15

0

20

3

1

9

48

Fingal

11

0

11

5

0

14

41

Galway City Council

13

6

14

7

1

2

43

Galway County

12

1

16

7

0

2

38

Kerry

10

0

22

12

0

11

55

Kildare

10

1

5

2

0

3

21

Kilkenny

3

2

4

1

0

0

10

Laois

9

0

13

4

0

2

28

Leitrim

2

0

2

3

0

2

9

Limerick City Council

5

2

11

5

0

4

27

Limerick County

9

0

10

4

0

5

28

Longford

4

2

4

1

0

3

14

Louth

3

1

6

8

0

8

26

Mayo

19

1

24

4

0

13

61

Meath

7

1

14

2

0

2

26

Monaghan

1

0

0

5

0

1

7

North Tipperary

7

0

12

7

0

2

28

Offaly

4

0

2

3

0

4

13

Roscommon

5

1

5

1

1

4

17

Sligo

10

0

9

3

0

2

24

South Dublin

7

0

12

3

1

8

31

South Tipperary

4

0

3

2

0

3

12

Waterford City Council

5

0

1

0

0

1

7

Waterford County

6

1

6

1

0

0

14

Westmeath

3

0

5

1

0

5

14

Wexford

9

2

10

7

0

5

33

Wicklow

19

1

8

7

1

6

42

TOTAL

283

28

325

166

10

208

1020

Resolved

Partially Resolved

Assistance Provided

Discontinued

Withdrawn

Not Upheld

Total Completed

Eastern

1

0

1

0

0

0

2

Midland

21

0

7

5

0

17

50

Mid-Western

5

0

14

20

1

32

72

North Eastern

2

0

8

4

0

13

27

North Western

3

0

6

4

0

7

20

South Eastern

17

1

23

10

0

7

58

Southern

5

0

45

23

1

16

90

Western

8

11

12

23

0

36

90

Northern Area

10

0

14

17

1

46

88

East Coast Area

3

0

19

10

1

24

57

South Western Area

8

0

10

12

0

52

82

Eastern Regional

0

0

3

2

0

0

5

Total

83

12

162

130

4

250

641

Resolved

Partially Resolved

Assistance Provided

Discontinued

Withdrawn

Not Upheld

Total Completed

An Post

18

2

19

3

1

21

64

Total

18

2

19

3

1

21

64

Private Companies

246

Banking/Insurance

203

Public Bodies outside remit

139

Pay and Conditions

71

Courts/Gardaí

100

Miscellaneous

124

Total

883