Vol. 471 No. 2
59 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Finance his views on the need to appoint an ombudsman to deal with issues relating to people with a disability, in particular people with a mental handicap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20535/96]
The rights of people with a disability are the same as those of every other citizen with respect to the role of the Ombudsman. I do not believe it is necesaary to appoint a separate ombudsman in this regard.
The current position is that under the terms of the Ombudsman Acts, 1980-1984, the Ombudsman has powers to investigate complaints about Departments and public service organisations under his remit in relation to administrative actions which adversely affect persons or bodies corporate. The remit of the Ombudsman was originally confined to Government Departments and offices staffed by civil servants but in December 1984 a Government order extended his remit, inter alia, to cover health boards and public hospitals, not including clinical matters. Consideration is now being given to legislation which would extend the remit of the Ombudsman further to cover agencies established since 1980, non-commercial State bodies and bodies including hospitals and other institutions dealing with people with a disability, which derive 50 per cent or more of their funding from the State. I hope to bring my proposals in this regard to Government in the near future.
