'Lack of knowledge' in State bodies - Ombudsman

Staff in State organisations and departments are suffering "from a serious lack of knowledge" about their obligations to the disabled under the Disability Act, Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has complained.

Publishing her annual report today, the Ombudsman said State bodies rarely make it clear to the public about how they should go about making a complant about the service meted out to them.

"My office has had to contact certain public bodies to clarify matters in relation to specific complaints about the Disability Act that I had received," she declared, at a press conferen this morning.

"Arising out of thse contacts there would appear to be a serious lack of knowledge among the staff of some public bodies about what is required of them under the Act," she said.

Most, she said, are "not aware" that the National Disability Authority has produced a Code of Practice to help all public bodies comply with the legislation. The number of complaints are low, but rising, she said.

The Ombudsman received a total of 2,578 valid complaints during 2007 compared to 2,245 complaints in 2006 - an increase of 14.8% on the previous year, and the highest figure since 1999. Of the 2,520 complaints concluded in 2007: 480 (19%) were resolved, in whole or in part; and in 622 (25%) cases assistance was provided.

In effect, 44 per cent of complainants were better off as a result of having contacted the Ombudsman. As regards the distribution by sector of valid complaints received, 41.4% related to civil service departments and offices, 33.4 per cent involved local authorities, 22.2 per cent related to the Health Service Executive, and 3 per cent

to An Post, the annual report declared.