Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 July 2021
109. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there are guidelines, written procedures or protocols or key performance indicators for acknowledgement of correspondence received and response to correspondence received, respectively by category of correspondence (details supplied) in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38251/21]
View answerMy Department's Customer Service Charter includes the following commitment:
If you write to us, we will:
Acknowledge correspondence via email where a contact email address has been provided within 3 - 5 working days and issue a formal reply in clear and simple language within 20 working days.
If it is not possible to give a full reply within this period, we will send you an interim reply with an indication of when the matter can be finalised.
Ensure that all of our written replies include the name, address, direct telephone number, email address and any other relevant contact details of the staff member who is responding to your correspondence."
With specific reference to representations received from members of the Oireachtas, my office and that of the Minister of State seek to ensure an immediate acknowledgement of such correspondence with a substantive reply being issued at an early date thereafter.
Where correspondence is received in relation to matters covered by statute such as the Freedom of Information or Data Protection Acts, this is responded to in line with the relevant statutory provisions. Similarly, solicited correspondence in relation to public consultations etc is addressed in line with the particular provisions of the scheme or process in question.
I trust that the above information is of assistance to the Deputy.
