If you contact us by telephone we will try to:

• answer your call as promptly as possible;
• give you our name and our area of work when we answer your call;
• be courteous and helpful to you at all times;
• answer your query in full; if we cannot do so immediately, we will take your details and call you back as soon as possible;
• respond to all voicemail messages promptly;
• make it as easy as possible for you to contact us by providing Lo-Call access.

If you send us a letter, fax or email we will try to:

• ensure you receive a full reply within 20 working days; if we cannot provide a full reply within this period, we will write to you explaining why and tell you when you can expect a full reply;
• include a contact name, reference number (where appropriate) and other contact details (telephone, fax, email) when replying;
• write to you in simple and clear language and avoid using technical terms unless absolutely necessary.

If you complain to the Ombudsman about the actions of a public body, we will try to:

• acknowledge your complaint within 7 days;
• tell you how long complaints of this type usually take to examine;
• keep you advised of progress on your case;
• inform you as promptly as possible and as clearly as possible of the outcome of the examination.

If you visit us in person we will:

• treat you with courtesy, respect your privacy and be fair in our dealings with you;
• meet you at the agreed time if you have an appointment;
• endeavour to provide appropriate facilities for meetings;
• keep our public offices clean and tidy, ensuring that they meet health and safety standards.

• We will make every effort to accommodate people who wish to conduct their business with us through Irish.
• Correspondence received in Irish will be answered in Irish.
• We will publish simultaneously in Irish and English key documents including our Strategy Statements, Annual Reports and Investigation Reports.
• We will ensure that information leaflets are available in both Irish and English.
• An Irish version of our website will mirror as far as practicable the English version.
• We will meet our other commitments under the Official Languages Act 2003.

• We are committed to providing a service to all clients that upholds their rights to equal treatment established by equality legislation.
• We will aim to ensure that our services and facilities are accessible to all our clients, including those with special needs.

• We are happy to address complaints from clients who are dissatisfied with the quality of services or the way in which they are delivered by the Office of the Ombudsman.
• A complaint should be made in the first instance to a local supervisor in the relevant section of the Office. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive and wish to make a formal written complaint you can write to the Head of Corporate Services at the Office of the Ombudsman, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.
• If you are dissatisfied with a decision of the Ombudsman and have information or evidence which you believe may not have been considered in the first instance, you can request that your complaint be reconsidered.
• We will deal with you fairly and impartially and we promise that your complaint will not affect how we will treat you in the future.

• We will measure and evaluate our performance against the commitments in our Charter.
• We will report on our performance in our Annual Report, which will be available on our website.

You can help us as we try to give you a high quality service:

• please state your complaint as clearly and as concisely as you can;
• please ensure that you send us copies of key supporting documents when submitting your complaint;
• quote any relevant reference number in all communications with us;
• treat our staff courteously, as you would wish to be treated yourself;
• make comments or suggestions about the service you receive.

• We welcome your comments and suggestions on this charter and on how we can improve our service in the future.
• If you would like to comment or make a suggestion please write to the Head of Corporate Services or e-mail to ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie

This Charter is available in electronic format on our website www.ombudsman.ie, where details regarding our other services, policies and contact information are also available.

Where to find us:

Our address is Office of the Ombudsman, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2; we are open to the public from 9.15am to 5.30pm. We have temporary offices each month at the following locations: Coolock, Dublin 17, Cork, Limerick and Galway. Details of locations and times are on our website. We also organise a programme of regional visits each year and details of these are publicised locally as well as on the website.

Our Main Telephone Number is (01) 6395600 or Lo Call 1890 223030.

If you know the extension number of the person you wish to speak with you may contact him/her directly by dialling (01) 639 + extension.