How to Make an Enquiry or Complaint

We aim to provide high-quality services for all members of the public. We accept that things can sometimes go wrong and we need to know when you are not happy with our service.

When you tell us what you are not happy with, we can try to put things right. In future, we can try to get it right first time.

We will treat your complaint seriously and deal with your complaint positively. We see any complaints as an opportunity to improve our services.

• What is a complaint?
• Our Commitment
• How to make a complaint
• Complaints Process
• Ombudsman
• Comments and Suggestions
• Online Complaints Form

What is a complaint?

A complaint is when you tell us you are not happy. For example, if:

• we do not deliver a service on time,
• we give you the wrong information,
• you receive a poor-quality service,
• you have a complaint about a member of staff, or
• you have a complaint about our policy.

Our Commitment

We are committed to putting you first and providing a quality customer service. This includes dealing with any complaint you may have.

• We will deal with your complaint quickly and fairly.
• We will tell you what is happening with your complaint and we will do everything we can to help you.
• We will treat the information you give us in confidence.
• We will explain our decision.
• We will use complaints to review and improve the way we provide services.
• If you make a complaint, it will not affect your rights to receive or use a council service.

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint by:

• completing our on-line form
• emailing info@leo.sdublincoco.ie
• phoning 01 4149000 from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm ( Monday to Thursday and 9.00am - 4.30 pm on Fridays)
• visiting the Local Enterprise Office South Dublin office in person at County Hall, Tallaght
• writing to:
 Local Enterprise Office South Dublin
, County Hall
, Tallaght
, Dublin 24

If you prefer, you can ask another person, a friend or relative to deal with us on your behalf.

When you make a complaint, please give us your complete contact information, tell us your name and address, your phone number and your email address if you have one.

Complaints Process

Informal complaint - Step 1

We will try to deal with your complaint informally. This means that you should phone or take your complaint to the office or person who dealt with your enquiry.

Our staff will do their best to settle your complaint without you needing to do anything else.

Formal complaint - Step 2

If you have spoken to the relevant officer about your complaint but they have not been able to put things right, or you are not happy with the result, the next step is for you to make a formal complaint. Your complaint will now be dealt with by the Head of Local Enterprise Office South Dublin.

Please make your complaint by completing The South Dublin County Council’s on-line form,  (Local Enterprise Office South Dublin is part of South Dublin County Council) emailing info@leo.sdublincoco.ie  or by writing to Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Please ensure that you give us your complete contact information, tell us your name and address, your phone number and your email address if you have one.

We will contact to you within three working days to let you know we have received your complaint. We will give you a reference number and the name of the person investigating your complaint. This information will make it easier for you to contact us if you need to.

We will:

• investigate your complaint;
• take any necessary action; and
• contact you within 15 working days to explain our decision and to tell you the outcome of your complaint.

If your complaint will take longer to investigate, and so we cannot send you a reply within 15 working days, we will write to you and let you know when you will receive a reply.

Complaint Review - Step 3

If you have been through the formal complaint process at Step 2 of the Complaints Procedure and you are still not happy with the outcome, you can contact the South Dublin County Council Customer Care Officer in relation to the service about which you have a complaint. The Customer Care Officer will confirm within five working days that we have received your complaint and arrange for your complaint to be considered by a more senior member of staff of the Corporate Services Department.

We will contact you within 20 working days to with a full written reply.

Office of the Ombudsman

If you feel like you've been unfairly treated or are not satisfied with our decision on your complaint, it is open to you to contact the Office of the Ombudsman. By law the Ombudsman can investigate complaints about any of our administrative actions or procedures as well as delays or inaction in your dealings with us. The Ombudsman provides an impartial, independent and free dispute resolution service.

Complaints may be made in writing, by telephone, by calling to the Ombudsman's Office, by email or by using the on-line complaint form. Remember to send any relevant documentation or correspondence you may have.

The Office of the Ombudsman is located at 18 Lr. Leeson St., Dublin 2. It is open between 9.15 and 5.30 Monday to Thursday and between 9.15 and 5.15 on Friday

Telephone: +353 1 6395600 Lo Call 1-890-223030 (from outside 01 area)

Fax: +353 1 6395674

Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie

You can find more details about the Local Government Ombudsman on the website : www.ombudsman.ie

Comments and Suggestions

As well as learning from complaints, we want to know any you may have to help us improve our services. You can do this by telling a member of staff about your comment or suggestion, by writing to us or by completing the South Dublin County Council’s online comment/suggestion form on our webpage.