Department of the Environment and Local Government

Customer Complaints Procedure

Driving Tests.

The Department of the Enviromnent and Local Government is committed to providing an excellent service to its customers who avail of our driving test service.

This leaflet explains what to do if you wish to make a complaint about the quality of service you have encountered in connection with your driving test. Please be assured that making a complaint will no way affect any dealings you will have with the Department, whether taking a further driving test or any other matter.

Complaints.

The departrment has made a commitment to delivering a high standard of service to its Customer Service Action Plan 2001 - 2004. and you should be treated in a fashion consistent with the objectives of the Plan. A copy of the plan can be obtained by phoning the department for the cost of a local call at LoCall 1890 40 60 40 and asking for Mr Eamonn Kennedy in Driver Testing Section

You are entitled to complain about any aspect of the service that you found unsatisfactory e.g.

You were not treated with courtesy at all times

You were unable to obtain information about some aspect of the test

You were given inaccurate or misleading information

There was an unreasonable delay in responding to correspondence

Documentation relating to your test was unclear

Your complaint will be investigated by a person other than the person complained about. The complaint will be dealt with properly, fairly and impartially.

Complaints about the Outcome of your Test.

In any case where your complaint is that your driving test was not properly conducted there is a formal appeal procedure to the District Court under Section 33 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961. In such an instance your case cannot be considered under this complaint Procedure.

What should you do if you want to make a complaint. ?

Ring Driver Testing Section, LoCall 1890 40 60 40 ask to be put through to the unit responsible for organising your test and speak to a member of staff. This may sort out the difficulty in an informal way.

If you wish to make a fromal complaint set out the details of your complaint in writing and send to:-

Quality Customer Service Officer,

Driving Testing Section,

Dept of The Environment and Local Government

Government Offices

FREEPOST

Ballina,

Co. Mayo.

An acknowledgement will issue within three working days and a substantive resonse will issue within one month. If there are any particular problems meeting these deadlines we will let you know. You may also email your letter to :

qcsofficer@environ.irlgov.ie

Redress.

If the investigation of a complaint reveals that you have not been treated in accordance with the standards we set for ourselves we will apologise for any mistakes and change our procedure to avoid any repetition of the action complained of.

If you have exhausted all of the stages of the Complaints Procedure and still unhappy, you can write to the Ombudsman, who is independent of the department and can formally investigate your complaint.

The Ombudsman

Making a complaint on foot of the Complaint Procedure outlined above does not remove your right to complain at any stage to the Ombudsman. You should note however that the Ombudsman will normally expect you to use the internal complaints procedure before accepting your complaint. The Ombudsman's address is :

Office of the Ombudsman,

18 Lower Leeson Street,

Dublin 2.

Tel (01) 678 5222. Fax (01) 661 0570

LoCall 1890 22 3030 (for callers outside the Dublin area)

ombudsman@ombudsman.irlgov.ie

Above reproduced from the Minister of Transports Information leaflet

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