Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
491. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he will advise, in relation to oversight and accountability of the FSPO, how a person can submit a complaint in relation to the FSPO; and who this office is accountable to. [39086/23]
View answerThe Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) is committed to providing a receptive service that is delivered in an accessible and inclusive manner, responsive to the needs of its customers. The FSPO adheres to ‘Our Public Service’, a framework developed by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform for innovation and continuous development in Ireland’s public service.
A customer may make a customer service complaint to the FSPO if the service falls short of what they consider acceptable. Customers may contact the Customer Service Unit by email to servicecomplaints@fspo.ie, by phone on + 353 1 567 7000 or by writing to the FSPO at: Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, D02 VH29.
All complaints will be dealt with promptly and in an objective and courteous manner.
The FSPO operates a Customer Charter and Customer Action Plan, which outline the standard of service and behaviour underpinning all interactions with customers and describe the FSPO’s policy of encouraging feedback from its customers, evaluating that feedback and, where possible, continuously improving on the quality of service offered.
While I have no role in the investigation of complaints brought to the FSPO under the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017 (the Act), there is a Service Level, Oversight and Performance Delivery Agreement in place between the Department of Finance and the Office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman. This is in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016), which sets out the arrangements for oversight, monitoring and reporting. It also sets out the FSPO’s commitments regarding the operational roles, responsibilities, outputs and outcomes.
Under Section 40 of the Act, the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council has the function to keep under review the efficiency and effectiveness of the Ombudsman, and to advise myself as Minister, either at my request or on its own initiative, on any matter relevant to the performance of the functions of the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman prepares an Annual Report on the performance of the functions of the Ombudsman, and financial statements of account for the preceding year under Section 24 of the Act. The Report is presented to the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Social Protection and is laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Ombudsman is also accountable to the Public Accounts Committee and to other Oireachtas Committees under Sections 22 and 23 of the Act.
