People in Cavan and Monaghan made 80 complaints to the Ombudsman about publicly-funded bodies in 2023. That number was an increase of 69 per cent compared to the year previous and was due mainly to a rise in complaints from County Monaghan residents.
The Ombudsman of Ireland can investigate complaints on behalf of Irish citizens against government departments like the Department of Social Protection or the Revenue Commissioners, county councils, HSE, hospitals and nursing homes. Nationally, 4,791 people lodged complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman in 2022 of which 40 came from people in Cavan and 23 in Monaghan.
The following year, 41 Cavan people and 39 in Monaghan made complaints representing a 69 per cent increase in the Farney County. 2024 marks 40 years of the Office of the Ombudsman. The current ombudsman, Ger Deering, told Northern Sound the process for making a complaint couldn't be simpler:
