My Department’s mission is to drive the delivery of better public services, living standards and infrastructure for the people of Ireland. To support this mission, the Department has published a Customer Charter 2024–2027, Customer Action Plan and Customer Complaints Procedure, which set out the standards of service that all customers, including public representatives, can expect when engaging with the Department. Staff of the Department are expected to attach particular priority to any correspondence from public representatives.
The Department is committed to providing a professional, efficient and courteous service to all customers, in line with the 12 Principles of Quality Customer Service. The Customer Charter outlines service standards and timelines for responding to correspondence and the Complaints Procedure provides a clear escalation process where issues cannot be resolved at first point of contact. If an issue cannot be resolved with the relevant staff or section, a formal complaint can be made to the Quality Customer Service Officer. The complaints mailbox is monitored by officials and responses are issued in line with published service standards. Feedback is also welcomed through the channels set out in our customer service documents. Full details of the Department’s Customer Charter, Action Plan and Complaints Procedure are available on the Department’s website.
I am advised that the position in respect of the bodies under the aegis of my Department is as outlined below.
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works (OPW) Customer Action Plan and Charter outlines its commitments and the standards of quality customer service that our customers can expect. In accordance with the 12 Civil Service Guiding Principles of Quality Customer Service, the OPW is committed to providing excellent service by maintaining the highest standards of quality in a climate of mutual respect.
Under its current Customer Charter, the OPW is committed to acknowledging all written enquiries and non-routine correspondence within one week of receipt. The Office endeavours to provide comprehensive replies to 95% of all correspondence within 20 working days and to address the remainder under special circumstances where longer timescales are required. The Minister’s Private Office deal with all correspondence from elected members in a consistent and timely manner with the cooperation of relevant officials across the Office of Public Works. All correspondence is tracked, reviewed and followed up on regularly.
Public Appointments Service
The PAS Customer Action Plan and Customer Charter set out its commitment to respond to all routine queries within 3 days and non-routine queries within 10 days; this is measured by local management in each area. PAS takes responsibilities in responding to elected representatives very seriously and provide annual briefings for staff and managers in relation to responding to such queries as a matter of urgency and through the appropriate channels. Any delays notified to PAS would be escalated to a Member of the Executive Team for investigation and action.
Office of the Ombudsman
The timelines for responding to correspondence to the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Offices to which it provides corporate services support, are set out in the respective Customer Service Charters of the individual Offices. Commitments in the Customer Service Charters also apply to correspondence from elected members of Local Authorities. In addition, the Office also has processes in place to ensure that more urgent correspondence is prioritised accordingly, including correspondence from all public representatives. The Ombudsman is also available to engage directly with public representatives. The Office is satisfied that it meets its commitments in its Customer Charters in the vast majority of cases. The Office reports on case closure times and numbers in annual reports.
The Office of the Ombudsman provides corporate service support to:
• the Office of the Information Commissioner;
• the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information;
• the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner;
• the Commission for Public Service Appointments; and
• the Standards in Public Office Commission.
State Laboratory
In the context of its particular role, the State Laboratory does not have standards or service level targets for responding to correspondence from members of local authorities. The State Laboratory has not received correspondence from members of local authorities for at least 10 years.
National Shared Services Office
The National Shared Services Office (NSSO) does not generally receive correspondence from members of local authorities. However, where such queries arise, it adheres to the Protocol for the Provision of Information to Members of the Oireachtas by State Bodies under the aegis of Government Departments / Offices. Compliance is monitored internally by the team responsible for handling these queries and is reported annually in the NSSO annual report.
Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery
The Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery (ORNL) responds to any such correspondence in line with its Customer Service Charter Standards of acknowledging correspondence within 3-5 working days, and providing a substantive reply, in a clear and straightforward manner, within 20 working days.
