Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
850. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the customer complaints received by his Department in each of the years since 2016; if the complaints are grouped into categories; the nature of the complaints; the resolution of same; and the number progressed to the relevant ombudsman in each of the years since 2016. [1864/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe data requested by the Deputy is set out in the table that follows.
|
Year |
Number of customer service complaints received by my Department’s Quality Service Unit |
|
2016 |
60 |
|
2017 |
43 |
|
2018 |
30 |
The data set out in the table relates to complaints 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, as these have a separate appeals process.
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.
Customer Service complaints are not sub-categorised in my Department and, having regard to my Department’s data protection obligations, specific detail in respect of the complaints referred to in the table above cannot be provided, but I can advise that in general they involve dissatisfaction with matters such as alleged:
- Delays in responses to correspondence.
- Delays in payments.
- Lack of notice for inspections.
- Complaints regarding Department staff.
My Department does not maintain records in respect of the number of customer service complaints received by the Ombudsman that are a continuation of complaints received by the Quality Service Unit of my Department as part of my Department’s Customer Service Complaints Procedure. Accordingly, the Department is not in a position to provide that particular piece of data requested by the Deputy. However, the following is the total number of Ombudsman cases involving my Department in the years in question.
|
Year |
Number of Ombudsman cases |
|
2016 |
66 |
|
2017 |
43 |
|
2018 |
45 |
It is important to note that many of the cases listed in the above table are appeals to the Ombudsman against decisions taken in the operation of a scheme or service rather than complaints concerning customer service, as it is open to customers of my Department to contact the Ombudsman both where they are not happy with the customer service they have received and where they are dissatisfied with decisions taken in the operation of a scheme or service.
