Role of the Ombudsman
Established under the Ombudsman Act, 1980, the core activity of the Office of the Ombudsman is the examination and investigation of complaints about administrative actions, delays, or inaction adversely affecting persons or bodies in their dealings with public service providers under remit. The Office also investigates complaints relating to certain functions of public bodies covered by the Disability Act, 2005. If the Ombudsman finds in any given case that the complainant has been treated unfairly or improperly and has been adversely affected as a result, then he will suggest an appropriate redress to remedy, mitigate or alter the adverse effect suffered. In dealing with and resolving individual complaints the Ombudsman will strive to bring about improvements in administration based on lessons learned from individual complaints.
Role of the Information Commissioner
Originally established under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 1997 and continued under the FOI Act 2014, the role of the Commissioner is to review decisions made by public bodies in relation to FOI requests and to make binding new decisions. His role is also to keep the operation of the Act under review with a view to ensuring maximum compliance among public bodies and to prepare and publish commentaries on the practical operation of the Act. Typically, the objectives of a well-functioning FOI regime include:
- bringing transparency to Government decision making and discouraging corruption,
- helping to hold government to account,
- informing the public about government,
- improving the quality of decision making by public bodies,
- acting as a check on the exercise of power by government and its agencies, and
- promoting citizen participation.
In addition, the Information Commissioner is also the Commissioner for Environmental Information, whose main function is to decide on appeals by members of the public who are not satisfied with the outcome of their requests to public service providers for environmental information.
Vision
‘A public service that is fair, open, accountable and effective’
Our vision in this planning cycle remains of a public service that is fair, open, accountable and effective. It recognises the central role our Office has to play in meeting the challenge of ensuring that public service decision making processes are being applied in a proper and equitable manner and in a consistent way across all public services.
We aim to achieve this vision by seeking to extend and improve the impact our Office has on the wider public service, by continuously improving the level of services we provide for our customers, and in ensuring that our systems and processes are as effective and efficient as they can be.
Values
As an Organisation we follow the Ombudsman Principles of Good Administration, namely;
- Get it right
- Be customer orientated
- Be open and accountable
- Act fairly and proportionately
- Deal with errors effectively
- Seek continuous improvement
The principles are not intended to act as a checklist but instead they provide a valuable framework to which all public service providers should adhere in carrying out their duties. In addition to the above principles we have committed to a set of values that guide our staff in everything they do. They cannot be considered in isolation from each other as they will often overlap.
Our organisational values are set out below. They describe the qualities that our staff are expected to demonstrate when carrying out their functions. In reviewing both the decisions of, and the services provided by, public service providers we expect that they have integrated similar values into their decisions, actions, policies, processes, and systems.
1. Independence - We will examine complaints, conduct reviews, and make decisions in a fair, objective, and impartial manner.
2. Customer Focus - We aim for excellence and professionalism in the delivery of our services. We will meet defined quality standards and continuously review our performance to ensure that the customer remains at the heart of everything we do.
3. Fairness – Treating all people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our relationships with all of our stakeholders. It also contributes to a healthy work environment that promotes engagement, openness and transparency.
4. Empathy – We understand that our customers generally avail of our services having exhausted all other avenues open to them. We will listen carefully to our customers with a view to understanding and being sensitive to their concerns.
5. Innovation – We will deliver continuous performance improvements and avail of best practice methods for delivering a first class service and in doing so enhance confidence in public service delivery.
