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Annual Report of the Ombudsman 2008 (text version)

 

Ombudsman Annual Report 2008

Office of the Ombudsman
18 Lower Leeson Street
Dublin 2

LoCall: 1890 22 30 30
Tel: 01 6395 600
Fax: 01 6395674

Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie
Website: www.ombudsman.ie

The following is the text of the Ombudsman's Annual Report for 2008. 

CONTENTS

Foreword

Message from the Ombudsman

The Ombudsman's Business Review of 2008

2.1 Complaints Management

2.2 Notices issued to public bodies under Section 7 of the Ombudsman Act, 1980 - demanding information

2.3 Meetings with dignitaries, officials, Oireachtas Committees etc.

2.4 Conferences at home and abroad

2.5 British and Irish Ombudsman Association (BIOA) meetings

2.6 Public Sector Ombudsmen Network Meetings

2.7 New Polish Social and Legal Advice Centre

2.8 European Information Exchange Group

2.9 Civil Service Performance Verification Group

2.10 Equality

2.11 British and Irish Ombudsman Association - Chairperson appointment

2.12 Honorary Doctorate

Communications and Research

 

3.1 Investigation Reports and Media Releases

3.2 Customer Feedback

3.3 Communication and co-ordination with Houses of the Oireachtas members

3.4.1 Reaching out to people - Raising Awareness

3.4.2 Reaching out to people - Information Literature

3.4.3 Reaching out to people - Complaint Form

3.4.4 Reaching out to people - Website Enhancement

3.4.5 Reaching out to people - Outreach - Visits to Citizens Information Centres (CICs) and Regional Visits

3.4.6 Reaching out to people - Ombudsman Link Service

Civil Service

4.1 Civil Service Overview

4.2.1 Selected Cases - Dispute about a tax payment resolved

4.2.2 Selected Cases - Revenue Commissioners’ decision not to allow tax relief on voluntary pension contributions in the same year revised

Local Authorities

5.1 Local Authorities - Overview

5.2.1 Selected Cases - Council compensates planning objector for error in failing to notify decision

5.2.2 Selected Cases - Councils exceed their authority on parking permits for residents

5.2.3 Selected Cases - Refusal by council to pay a disabled persons grant revised - €17,202 paid

5.2.4 Selected Cases - Policy change on access to recycling facilities for landlord of rented properties

5.2.5 Selected Cases - Elderly woman allowed to apply to buy her council dwelling after being refused

5.2.6 Selected Cases - Planning site notices not lawful if placed on gates which are left open

5.2.7 Selected Cases - Complainant gets €2,000 essential repairs grant for roof repairs

Social Welfare, Health and Personal Social Services

6.1 Department of Social & Family Affairs – Overview

6.2.1 Selected cases - Arrears of €8,600 secured for Back-to-Work Allowance scheme applicant

6.2.2 Selected cases - local newspaper contributor gets non-contributory pension after means review

6.2.3 Selected Cases - Contributory State pension increased by Department of Social and Family Affairs for farm worker

6.2.4 Selected Cases - Citizens of other EU countries in Ireland claiming child benefit and delays in getting responses

6.2.5 Selected Cases - Carer for aunt and uncle gets full allowance (€322.10) weekly following Department review

6.2.6 Selected Cases - Decision to halve State pension (contributory) revised - arrears of €39,538 paid

6.3 Health Service Executive (HSE) - Overview

6.4.4 HSE Selected Cases - Three severely disabled children have HSE decisions not to grant domiciliary care allowance (DCA) revised

6.4.1 HSE Selected Cases - UK social security pension/Irish occupational pension holder has automatic entitlement to medical card confirmed

6.4.2 HSE Selected Cases - Community care home resident has in-patient service charge of €96.60 weekly reduced to nil

6.4.3 HSE Selected Cases - Decision not to grant a nursing home subvention revised – weekly allowance of €238.20 granted and arrears of €16,980.26 paid

An Post

7.1 An Post - Overview

7.2.1 Selected Case - Wallet delivered to wrong Las Vegas hotel – An Post make goodwill payment for loss

Public Bodies covered by the Disability Act 2005

8.1 Disability Act 2005 - Overview

8.2 Disability Act 2005 – Comment on low level of complaints

Annexes

Annex A - Tables 1 - 7 Overview of 2008 complaints

Annex A Tables 8 - 8(k) - Numerical and percentage breakdown of types of complaint

Annex A Table 9: Civil Service – Numerical breakdown of complaints completed by outcome

Annex A Tables 10, 10a and 11 - Statistics relating to Local Authority Complaints

Annex A - HSE Administrative Areas

Annex A - Tables 12, 12(a) & 13 - statistics relating to hospital complaints

Annex A - Tables 14 - 20 - Statistics relating to non-hospital, Health Act 2004 & Disability Act 2005 complaints

Annex A - Tables 21 and 22 - Statistics relating to An Post complaints

Annex B - Staff of the Office of the Ombudsman

Annex C - List of Reports on systemic issues published by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2008 and in previous years

Annex D - About the Ombudsman

Annex E - How we manage complaints

Annex F - How to contact the Office of the Ombudsman