Robert Molloy
Ceist:6 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the timescale for the implementation of a charter for users in his Department. [9959/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Users' Charter.
A users' charter has recently been published by my Department. The charter sets out standards of service on which every member of the public dealing with the Department is entitled to rely. At present, a group responsible for quality service in my Department is being established which will oversee the ongoing implementation of the charter. The task of the group will include consulting with staff on the charter and its delivery, the drafting of guidelines for use by staff and ensuring that staff are adequately trained in the process. This will be carried out in the coming months. The group will also monitor the charter on an ongoing basis to ensure that we continue to meet the requirements of our customers. While the users' charter will be applicable throughout the whole Department, it may be augmented in particular areas, for example by setting out specific targets for customer service levels.
It is important to emphasise that the charter is not an end in itself, but a means of ensuring that a high quality of service continues to be provided by my Department. The Companies Registration Office is in the process of setting up a users' council, representative of the principal organisations who are customers of the office, under the chairmanship of the Registrar. In addition, I have written to the chairpersons of State bodies under the aegis of my Department requesting that a users' charter also be developed for their organisation, if one is not already in existence.
I have a copy of the charter. We all welcome its statement that people should be kind, courteous, efficient and so on. Will the Minister accept that the greatest assistance his Department could give to the users, potential entrepreneurs or existing entrepreneurs would be to reduce the level of bureaucracy and red tape which many complain about frequently? What are the Minister and his Department doing to ensure that red tape and bureaucracy is minimised throughout his Department and in the agencies for which he has responsibility?
Part of the function of the charter will be to address issues such as information and access to service and to ensure promptness in dealing with queries. A freephone service is in existence to help people setting up a business to get access to information as speedily as possible. The county enterprise boards are establishing first stop shops to assist people at county level to access information quickly.
On the wider issue of bureaucracy for small business, that is an issue that was raised in many discussions of the problems of small business. Naturally compliance costs will always be proportionately more expensive for a small business. A review is under way to identify areas where we can introduce changes in the bureaucratic approach to minimise unnecessary bureaucracy and to deal effectively with queries and needs of small business. At this stage it would be premature for me to suggest exactly the lines of change that will be introduced. If the Deputy wishes to discuss the matter on another occasion I will be happy to discuss the possibilities.
In general, like Deputy Harney, I welcome the idea of a charter. I have been reading this glossy book, the second such glossy brochure the Minister has published recently. We have come to a point in public life where we actually have to write down that people must be polite and courteous to people on the telephone.
The Deputy and I are always that to each other without any booklet.
I understand my colleague, Deputy John O'Donoghue, had a wonderful description of the Minister of State earlier today which I have yet to read. I am sure it was appropriate. The public service in general genuinely strives to deal with the public in a generous and courteous way. It is often completely circumscribed by regulations as to whom it may speak with. I was pleased to read in the charter that names and positions of individuals in the Department will be freely given.
In regard to what the Minister said about the freephone service, I have on three separate occasions tested it as a consumer but I have failed to get a reply.
It must be the cutbacks.
I informed the Minister about this on a previous occasion.
I have brought the matter to the attention of Forbairt and I will do so again.
They just do not answer.
I have not received complaints other than from the Deputy that the enterprise link is failing to deal effectively with calls. It is receiving a large volume of calls. I share the Deputy's general comments that we have a tradition of courtesy in the public service. We need more openness and to monitor our effectiveness in this area. We need a good complaints procedure so that if people have difficulties they are dealt with quickly and we need to ensure a speedy response. The document clearly indicates the people who are responsible in the different areas and provides the access numbers. It will open up the Department to users. The charter is the start of a process and over time it will develop as a vehicle for ensuring quality service.