Galway City Council is the fifth most complained about public body across Ireland, according to a new report.
The latest report from the Office of the Ombudsman shows only the local authorities of Dublin City, Cork City, South County Dublin and Limerick were the subject of more complaints last year.
Of the 247 complaints made from people living across County Galway last year, 58 were about the city council, while Galway County Council got 47 complaints. Sixteen concerned University Hospital Galway, and two regarded the University of Galway.
A spokesman for The Ombudsman, Ger Deering – essentially a watchdog who protects citizens from injustices committed by civil officials – indicated that the remaining 123 complaints in Galway were mostly in connection to HSE services, or the Department of Social Protection.
County Galway sent the third highest number of complaints to the Ombudsman’s office, which is celebrating its 40th year of operation in 2024. Dublin generated 1070 complaints, followed by Cork with 455. County Galway was responsible for 5.53 per cent of the 4,465 complaints nationally, 13 per cent of which were made about organisations outside the state.
The Ombudsman received 4,465 complaints about public services in 2023, up 30 per cent since 2020. The highest number of complaints (1,430 ) was about city and county councils.
1,175 complaints were made about Government Departments, with the Department of Social Protection being the subject of 636 complaints.
There were 839 complaints to the Ombudsman about public bodies in the Health and Social Care sector, including 674 about HSE services, and 134 regarding Tusla.
The remaining complaints were about publicly-funded bodies in other sectors, including regulators, third-level education bodies and private nursing homes.
Galwegians who wish to make a complaint in person, may visit the Galway Citizens Advice Centre on St Augustine Street on the fourth Tuesday of every month when Ombudsman Office staff are present.
See www.ombudsman.ie for details.
