My Department strives to make our services accessible to all of our customers in line with our commitments in Our Public Service 2020 and the Civil Service Renewal 2024 Action Plan. We are mindful of the needs of the public and ensure accessibility to our services by all sections of the community, including those who are not in a position to correspond by email.
To this end we have ensured that the relevant phone numbers are easily accessible to members of the public. Our main switch line and postal addresses are printed on all of our headed stationery that is used in correspondence with members of the public. We also publish our phone numbers on the Department’s Gov.ie page. In addition to email and postal addresses, we currently have phone numbers published for our main switch board, the Mother & Baby Homes Information Line, the Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme, our Data Protection Officer and our Press Office.
Where a specific unit or team is not listed on the website, customers can call our main switch board where they will be transferred by phone to the relevant staff member to assist with their queries. I would note that we also have a fluent Irish speaker working on our main switch as part of our efforts to provide a bilingual service as required by the Official Languages Act.
The bodies under the aegis of this Department make similar efforts to ensure that their services are accessible to those who are not in a position to correspond by email.
The National Disability Authority (NDA) clearly states its contact telephone and fax numbers at the bottom of every page on its website, www.nda.ie. Additionally, there is a ‘contact us’ page with the same information. There is also a Customer Charter and Action Plan which, among other things, detail the NDA’s commitments in relation to answering phone calls. All NDA stationery and headed notepaper used in correspondence with the public has the NDA contact telephone and fax numbers in the page’s footer.
The Adoption Authority of Ireland also publishes its phone numbers its website and on its headed notepaper used in correspondence with the public.
Oberstown Children Detention Campus publishes its numbers to its website and also include their full contact information on all stationery and media platforms.
Please note that the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO), the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, will respond to you directly.
I trust that this information is helpful.
