The Ombudsman investigates complaints from people who feel they have been unfairly treated by certain providers of public services, including:
Yes. The Ombudsman is independent of government. The Ombudsman deals with all complaints impartially when deciding if the action or decision of the public service provider was fair or reasonable.
You can complain about any of the following:
If we can investigate your complaint, we will ask you to give us all the information about it. We usually ask the public service provider to send us information about the issues involved. It can take time to gather the information that we need before we can make a decision on your complaint.
We will then decide whether:
We may then recommend that the public service provider:
No, there are some things the Ombudsman cannot investigate. These include:
The Ombudsman cannot investigate complaints relating to employment, including:
In addition, the Ombudsman cannot investigate complaints where:
Before you complain to the Ombudsman you must first complain to the HSE or service provider using the HSE or service provider's complaints procedure.
The HSE and its service providers have appointed Complaints Officers who will examine your complaint and give you a written response within a stated period. A Complaints Officer will also advise you of your right to seek an internal review of your complaint by a HSE Review Officer or to complain directly to the Ombudsman.
Please remember to include any letters or other correspondence between you and the HSE or service provider concerned.
You should submit your complaint to the Ombudsman within 12 months of the action or decision that has adversely affected you. However, even if more than 12 months has passed, we may still be able to help if there is a good reason for the delay.
It will depend on your individual complaint. We will try to complete the investigation of your case within three to six months. If your case is more complicated, it may take us longer. We will keep you informed as to what is happening with your complaint.
Nothing - there is no charge for the services of the Ombudsman.
The best way to make a complaint to the Ombudsman is through our website: www.ombudsman.ie.
You can also write to:
Yes, but only if you give them permission to do so.
If you want to complain on behalf of someone else, you must get their permission first. We will contact them to make sure they are happy for you to act on their behalf.
If you have a disability and need help to use the services of the Ombudsman, our Access Officer can be contacted by email at accessofficer@ombudsman.ie or by telephone at (01) 639 5625.