SDR - Annual Report - 2010

During the period from 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010, the Ombudsman received 983 complaints and responded to nearly 2,500 requests for information. The report highlights a major concern: administrative delays, which account for nearly a quarter of the complaints. The Ombudsman emphasises the importance of sound administrative practice, based on diligence, clarity, courtesy and the quality of service provided to citizens. He also calls for the introduction of binding statutory time limits, accompanied by financial penalties payable by the State in the event of these limits being exceeded, in order to reduce delays in the long term. Several areas are the focus of significant action: immigration (with improvements to reception at service counters), housing, taxation, social security, transport and education.

The Ombudsman also makes numerous structural recommendations aimed at improving transparency, communication with service users and the consistency of administrative practices. He highlights persistent shortcomings in certain administrative bodies — notably the CNAP, the CNS, the ADEM, local authority services and environmental authorities — where citizens face delayed, incomplete or contradictory responses. The report also emphasises the importance of amending legislation to ensure equal treatment, for example in the areas of the right of residence and access to family benefits. Overall, the Ombudsman calls for a more efficient, more consistent and more citizen-focused administration.