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Annual Report of the Ombudsman 2008 (text version)

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

In 2008, staff from my Office continued to promote the outreach services of the Ombudsman through regular monthly visits to CICs in Cork, Galway and Limerick and through a regional visit programme with visits to Tralee, Ennis, Letterkenny and Wexford during the year.

Citizens Information Centres (CICs)

Monthly visits to CICs by Ombudsman staff are a well-established part of the annual outreach programme of my Office.  A Staff member spends one day per month in the CIC Offices in Galway, Limerick and Cork to record complaints from members of the public. The visits are advertised in advance on the Ombudsman website and through local media. Together with my staff, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the CIC managers, staff and volunteers for their ongoing professional support during the visits.

Cork CIC

A total of 50 valid complaints were received through the CIC in 2008. This represents 17.5% of all new complaints received from Cork City and County in 2008.

Galway CIC

A total of 48 valid complaints were received through the CIC in 2008. This represents 23% of all new complaints received from Galway City and County in 2008.

Limerick CIC

A total of 50 valid complaints were received through the CIC in 2008. This represents 45% of all new complaints received from Limerick City and County in 2008.

Regional Visits

Regional visits differ from the CIC visits in that several staff participate in what can be either a one, or occasionally, a two-day event in a major town. My Office endeavours to choose a central location to facilitate ease of access for inquirers and complainants. Ombudsman staff are typically available from 10.00am to 7.30pm on the day, to allow people to attend outside routine working hours. The result is that as many as 90 complainants can be interviewed in a single regional visit.

Ombudsman Regional Visits in 2008

Tralee – 30th April

A total of 90 complaints were received, 73 of which were valid new complaints.  This represents 49% of all new complaints received from the County Kerry area in 2008.

Ennis – 19th June

A total of 50 complaints were received, 44 of which were valid new complaints.  This represents 48% of all new complaints received from the County Clare area in 2008.

Letterkenny – 18th September

A total of 48 complaints were received, 37 of which were valid new complaints.  This represents 40% of all new complaints received from the County Donegal area in 2008.

Wexford – 29th October

A total of 38 complaints were received, 28 of which were valid new complaints.  This represents 25% of all new complaints received from the County Wexford area in 2008.

To summarise, the total number of valid complaints received through these regular outreach visit programmes account for 11.8% of all valid complaints received by my Office in 2008, underlining the importance of bringing the service to people in their own localities.

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