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Annual Report of the Ombudsman 2005

Chapter 5: Statistics

Complaint Statistics 2005

Table 1. Overview of 2005 complaints

Complaints	Numbers
Received in 2005	3227
Outside Jurisdiction	984
Total within Jurisdiction	2243
Carried forward from 2004	788
Total on hand for 2005	3031
Completed in 2005	2193
Carried forward to 2006	838
Enquiries	9704

Complaints	Numbers
Received in 2005	3227
Outside Jurisdiction	984
Total within Jurisdiction	2243
Carried forward from 2004	788
Total on hand for 2005	3031
Completed in 2005	2193
Carried forward to 2006	838
Enquiries	9704

Table 2  -  10 Year trend of valid Complaints Received

1996	2536
1997	3126
1998	2876
1999	2685
2000	2136
2001	2539
2002	2326
2003	2213
2004	2064
2005	2243

Table 3 - Analysis of valid complaints received in 2005 

Civil Service	962
Local Authorities	748
Health Service Executive	447
An Post	86
Total	2243

Table 4 - Three Year Comparison - Valid Complaints Received 

2005	2243
2004	2064
2003	2213

Table 5 - Civil Service - Valid Complaints Received in 2005

Department	Brought forward from 2004	Received in 2005	On hands for 2005
Social and Family Affairs (see 9 (a))	54	287	341
Agriculture and Food (see 9 (b))	67	241	308
Education and Science(see 9 (c))	71	99	170
Revenue (see 9 (d))	14	124	138
Justice, Equality and Law Reform	16	73	89
Environment, Heritage and Local Government	18	19	37
Communications, Marine and Natural Resources	7	19	26
Health and Children	10	14	24
Transport	3	19	22
Foreign Affairs	4	18	22
Enterprise, Trade and Employment	4	8	12
Others	19	41	60
Total	287	962	1249

Table 6 -Local Authorities - Valid Complaints received in 2005

Local Authority	Brought forward from 2004	Received in 2005	On hands for 2005
Carlow	3	10	13
Cavan*	0	7	7
Clare	11	16	27
Cork City Council	12	30	42
Cork County	24	45	69
Donegal*	18	53	71
Dublin City Council*	46	94	140
Dún Laoghaire -Rathdown	15	29	44
Fingal	12	31	43
Galway City Council*	4	17	21
Galway County*	14	25	39
Kerry	10	45	55
Kildare	26	30	56
Kilkenny	4	13	17
Laois	12	10	22
Leitrim	3	4	7
Limerick City Council*	7	23	30
Limerick County	3	15	18
Longford	6	6	12
Louth	12	12	24
Mayo	24	29	53
Meath	13	17	30
Monaghan	3	2	5
North Tipperary	3	8	11
Offaly	6	8	14
Roscommon	11	9	20
Sligo	6	16	22
South Dublin	12	25	37
South Tipperary	9	21	30
Waterford City Council	2	3	5
Waterford County	9	14	23
Westmeath	4	10	14
Wexford*	13	42	55
Wicklow	14	29	43
Total	371	748	1119

Complaints received against Borough Councils and Town Councils are included in the County Figures.

*Monthly CIC visits or one-day visits were made to these counties in 2005 and this is likely to have affected the number of complaints received.

Table 7 - Health Service Executive Formerly Health Boards - Valid Complaints Received in 2005

HSE Area	Brought forward from 2004	Received in 2005	On hands for 2005
HSE: Midland Area - Formerly Midland Health Board	5	19	24
HSE: Mid-Western Area - Formerly Mid-Western Health Board	23	38	61
HSE: North-Eastern Area - Formerly North Eastern Health Board	6	33	39
HSE: North Western Area - Formerly North Western Health Board	6	28	34
HSE: South Eastern Area - Formerly South Eastern Health Board	3	40	43
HSE: Southern Area - Formerly Southern Health Board	14	56	70
HSE: Western Area - Formerly Western Health Board	11	40	51
HSE: Eastern Region, East Coast Area - Formerly East Coast Area Health Board	20	44	64
HSE: Eastern Region, South Western Area - Formerly South Western Area Health Board	19	84	103
HSE: (Eastern Area) - Formerly Eastern Regional Health Authority	5	3	8
Total	125	447	572

Table 8 -An Post - Valid Complaints Received in 2006

	Brought forward from 2004	Received in 2005	On hands for 2005
An Post	5	86	91
Total	5	86	91

Table 9 (a) - Department of Social and Family Affairs - Breakdown by main categories of complaint received in 2005

Old Age & Retirement Pension	77
Disability, Invalidity and Maternity Payments	50
Unemployment Payments	39
Widows and One Parent Family Payments	38
PRSI	16
Fuel Allowance and Free Schemes	14
Carers Allowance	12
Back to Work/Education Allowance	12
Child Benefit	8
No Reply to Correspondence	7
Occupational Injury Benefit	6
Family Income Supplement	1
Miscellaneous	7
Total	287

Table 9 (b) - Department of Agriculture and Food - Breakdown by main categories of complaint received in 2005.

Single Farm Payment	82
Livestock Grants	49
REP Scheme	34
Early Retirement Scheme	13
Farm Development Grants	13
Area Aid	11
Disease Eradication Scheme	7
Milk Quota	6
Area Based Allowance	5
Forest Premium Scheme	5
No Reply to Correspondence	3
Land Commission	2
Miscellaneous	11
Total	241

Table 9 (c) - Department of Education and Science - Breakdown by main categories of complaint received in 2005.

Delay/Failure to Reply	30
Higher Education Grants & Fees	22
School Transport	8
Incremental Credit	7
NOVA	5
Recognition of Qualifications	4
Special Education	3
School Bullying	3
Examinations	3
Miscellaneous	14
Total	99

Table 9 (d) - Office of the Revenue Commissioners - Breakdown by main categories of complaint received in 2005.

Income Tax	93
VAT/Inheritance/Capital Gains Tax	14
Customs and Excise	8
Delay/No reply to correspondence	6
Stamp Duty	2
Miscellaneous	1
Total	124

Table 10 - Local Authorities - Breakdown by main categories of complaint received in 2005.

Housing			240
	Allocation and Transfers	118
	Loans and Grants	51
	Repairs	36
	Sales	21
	Rents	14
Planning			228
	Enforcement	123
	Administration	105
Roads and Traffic			81
Delay/Failure to Reply			56
Waste Disposal			50
Sewerage and Drainage			14
Service Charges			11
Water Supply			10
Motor Tax and Drivers Licence			8
Rates			4
Acquisition of land/rights			3
Parks/Open Space			2
Access to Information on the Environment			1
Miscellaneous			40
Total			748

Table 11 -Health Service Executive - Breakdown  by main categories of Complaint received in 2005

Supplementary Welfare Allowance			97
	Exceptional Needs Payments	39
	Rent and Mortgage Allowances	22
	Back to School - Clothing/Footwear Allowance	7
	Miscellaneous	29
Health Services (General)			58
	Medical Cards	52
	Miscellaneous	25
Hospital Services			129
	Nursing Homes/Long Stay	104
	Miscellaneous	25
Delay/Failure to Reply			30
Cash Payments (other than SWA)			25
Childcare/Social Work Services			10
Hospital Charges			10
Provision of Service			9
Servuces for the Elderly - Housing Aid			8
Dental Service			6
Health Services			5
Hospital Services Psychiatric			1
Miscellaneous			59
Total			447

Table 12 - Valid Complaints received by County in 2005

Carlow	26
Cavan	41
Clare	54
Cork	232
Donegal	110
Dublin	586
Galway	119
Kerry	130
Kildare	72
Kilkenny	33
Laois	29
Leitrim	25
Limerick	109
Longford	17
Louth	31
Mayo	90
Meath	53
Monaghan	19
Offaly	15
Roscommon	27
Sligo	43
Tipperary	83
Waterford	44
Westmeath	39
Wexford	101
Wicklow	58
Outside Republic	57
Total	2243

Table 13 - Analysis of Complaints Completed in 2005

Complaint Resolved	343
Partially Resolved	17
Assistance Provided	422
Not Upheld	685
Discontinued	695
Withdrawn	31
Total	2193

Table 14 - Civil Service - Complaints Completed in 2005

Department /Office	Resolved	Partially Resolved	Assistance Provided	Discontinued	Withdrawn	Npt Upheld	Total Completed
Social and Family Affairs	12	1	48	136	3	83	283
Agriculture and Food	30	0	10	43	1	165	249
Education and Science	16	1	25	33	0	54	129
Revenue	31	2	21	25	2	21	102
Environment, Heritage and Local Government	4	0	3	10	2	5	24
Health and Children	3	0	3	6	0	4	16
Communications, Marine and Natural Resources	4	0	5	4	0	2	15
Justice, Equality and Law Reform	12	1	18	10	3	14	58
Enterprise, Trade and Employment	1	0	3	2	0	2	8
Foreign Affairs	5	0	3	2	0	8	18
Transport	0	1	5	8	0	7	21
Others	7	0	14	12	0	10	43
Total	125	6	158	291	11	375	966

Table 15 -Local Authorities - Complaints completed in 2005

Local Authority	Resolved	Partially Resolved	Assistance Provided	Discontinued	Withdrawn	Not Upheld	Total Completed
Carlow	0	0	2	3	0	4	9
Cavan	0	0	1	1	0	0	2
Clare	0	0	3	6	0	5	14
Cork City Council	6	0	8	9	1	5	29
Cork County	8	0	10	10	1	6	35
Donegal	0	0	6	22	0	7	35
Dublin City Council	27	2	20	24	0	31	104
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown	11	0	6	10	0	5	32
Fingal	1	0	6	9	0	8	24
Galway City Council	3	1	4	7	0	3	18
Galway County	7	0	16	5	0	2	30
Kerry	5	0	16	19	1	3	44
Kildare	10	0	13	6	0	3	32
Kilkenny	1	0	3	3	1	4	12
Laois	2	0	2	2	0	3	9
Leitrim	1	0	1	2	0	1	5
Limerick City Council	1	1	13	6	0	3	24
Limerick County	3	1	7	2	0	2	15
Longford	1	0	0	0	0	3	4
Louth	1	0	3	5	0	4	13
Mayo	6	1	17	9	0	7	40
Meath	4	0	1	8	1	4	18
Monaghan	1	0	1	0	0	0	2
North Tipperary	4	0	3	2	0	1	10
Offaly	1	1	3	2	0	2	9
Roscommon	0	1	2	3	0	6	12
Sligo	0	0	0	5	0	2	7
South Dublin	8	0	8	11	0	4	31
South Tipperary	6	0	6	6	1	4	23
Waterford City Council	1	0	0	1	0	1	3
Waterford County	5	0	2	5	1	6	19
Westmeath	1	0	0	2	0	3	6
Wexford	5	0	4	22	4	6	41
Wicklow	11	1	3	10	0	4	29
Total	141	9	190	237	11	152	740

Complaints received against Borough Corporations, Urban District Councils and Town Commissioners are included in the County figures

Table 16 -Health Service Executive - Complaints Completed in 2005

HSE Area	Resolved	Partially Resolved	Assistance Provided	Discontinued	Withdrawn	Not Upheld	Total Completed
HSE Midland Area -Formerly Midland Health Board	1	1	2	10	0	3	17
HSE Mid-Western Area - Formerly Mid-Western Health Board	7	0	7	12	1	13	40
HSE North Eastern Area - Formerly North Eastern Health Board	8	0	1	16	1	8	34
HSE North Western Area - Formerly North Western Health Board	1	0	1	19	0	3	24
HSE South-Eastern Area - Formerly South Eastern Area Health Board	3	0	8	15	0	5	31
HSE Southern Area Formerly Southern Health Board	5	0	10	19	0	19	53
HSE Western Area Formerly Wastern Health Board	5	0	12	12	3	5	37
HSE Eastern Region Northern Area Formerly Northern Area Health Board	7	0	3	24	0	25	59
HSE Eastern REgion East Coast Area, Formerly East Coast Area Health Board	8	0	6	11	1	25	51
HSE Eastern Region South Wastern Area Formerly SouthWestern Area Health Board	12	0	8	13	1	40	74
HSE (Eastern) Region Formerly Eastern Regional Health Authority	1	0	3	0	0	0	4
Total	58	1	61	151	7	146	424

Table 17 - An Post - Complaints completed in 2005

	Resolved	Partially Resolved	Assistance Provided	Discontinued	Withdrawn	Not Upheld	Total Completed
An Post	19	1	13	16	2	12	63
Total	19	1	13	16	2	12	63

Table 18 - Analysis of Invalid Complainants Recieved Received 2005

Private Companies	344
Public Bodies outside remit	196
Banking/Insurance	165
Courts/Gardaí	87
Pay and Conditions	76
Miscellaneous	116
Total	984

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