My Department’s Customer Charter and Action Plan 2013-2015 sets out the level of service customers can expect to receive. The Department monitors its performance through the use of its management information systems and through consultation with customers using a variety of methods including receiving feedback through the Comments and Complaints system.
If a customer is dissatisfied with the standard of service they receive, they can contact the staff member or section involved to have the matter dealt with. If this does not resolve the issue to their satisfaction, they can make a complaint to the Quality Customer Service Team by telephone, in writing or on line at www.welfare.ie. Their complaint will be dealt with promptly, fairly and impartially. Receipt of the complaint will be acknowledged, and it will be referred to a complaints officer for investigation. A response to the customer normally issues within 15 working days of the date of receipt of the complaint.
If the complaint remains unresolved, the customer has the right of further appeal to the Office of the Ombudsman.
There has been a yearly average of 1,200 complaints received over the past two years. While it is not possible to provide the Deputy with details of complaints received against front-line staff specifically, some 422 official complaints have been recorded against named officers of the Department as follows:
Year
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014 (to date)
|
Officer named complaints received
|
102
|
171
|
149
|
Complaints against named officers are continually monitored by the Department. Over 75% of all "Officer Named" complaints are made about officers in the context of carrying out investigations and decisions on social welfare entitlements in line with social welfare legislation.
I wish to assure the Deputy that the Department endeavours to deliver a quality service on a daily basis to all its customers.