Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
1922. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of complaints submitted following farm inspections since January 2015 in circumstances in which such a complaint related either to the process of inspection related to procedures or methods of inspection or related to an inspector; and the number which related to an aspect of a farm inspection by county and nature of complaint. [33531/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe data requested by the Deputy is set out in the table.
|
Year |
Number of customer service complaints from farmers received by Quality Service Unit regarding inspections |
Counties |
|
2015 |
1 |
Longford |
|
2016 |
3 |
Galway, Carlow, Kerry |
|
2017 |
1 |
Mayo |
|
2018 to date (01/01/2018 – 18/07/2018) |
2 |
Galway, Cork |
The data set out in the table above relates to complaints from farmers received by the Quality Service Unit of my Department as part of my Department’s Customer Service Complaints Procedure. It is important to note that this Customer Service Complaints Procedure concerns complaints regarding customer service; it does not cover requests for reviews or appeals against actual decisions taken in the operation of a scheme or service.
Where an applicant considers that an inspection has not been conducted in accordance with legislative requirements, or if they consider that the inspection findings are incorrect, they can seek an initial review within my Department by an officer more senior than the original inspecting officer. Subsequent appeals concerning entitlement to any of the payments related to the schemes listed in the schedule to the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001 as amended are dealt with by the Agriculture Appeals Office. The Agriculture Appeals Office is an independent agency established in 2002 to provide an appeals service to farmers who are dissatisfied with decisions of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine concerning designated Schemes operated by the Department. In the event that an applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal process he/she has the right to pursue the matter further with the Office of the Ombudsman.
Having regard to data protection obligations, specific detail in respect of the complaints referred to in the table above cannot be provided, but in general they involve dissatisfaction with aspects of inspections such as the alleged lack of notice, attitude and conduct of Department staff and methodologies employed.
My Department is committed to providing a user-friendly, high quality service to all farmers. Where it is considered that my Department falls short of this, my Department’s Customer Service Complaints Procedure can be availed of by farmers. There are three steps in the customer service complaints process:
1. Complaints should first be directed to the senior officer in charge of the business area within the Department to which the complaint pertains.
2. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the response received from the Head of the relevant business area, the complaint can be sent to the Quality Service Unit who will examine any customer service aspect of the complaint. The Quality Service Unit will have the matter fully and impartially investigated by an officer who was not involved in the matter giving rise to the complaint.
3. If the complainant remains dissatisfied after steps 1 and 2 above, it is open to the complainant to contact the Office of the Ombudsman. The Office of the Ombudsman examines complaints from people who feel they have been unfairly treated by certain public bodies, for example, Government Departments.
