Customers with complaints against banks and other financial institutions face an uphill battle to assert their rights, a new report says.

A cabinet minister has said Ireland's banks need to start paying more respect to the public.

The Financial Services Ombudsman dealt with 8,135 complaints last year - the highest number since the office was established in 2005.

Financial Services Ombudsman Bill Prasifka is a man with a mission.

The Financial Services Ombudsman received 3,700 complaints between January and June.

AN architect has won her High Court challenge to a decision by the Financial Services Ombudsman rejecting most of her complaints against Bank of Ireland over its dealings with her concerning a loan.

IRISH Life and Permanent’s Trustee Savings Bank (PTSB) failed to act in good faith by concealing the existence of a taped telephone conversation with a customer, a High Court judge said yesterday.

The Financial Services Ombudsman has said much more needs to be done to begin to restore public confidence in the sector.

A new report published today by the Financial Services Ombudsman (FSO) shows that the volume of complaints about financial institutions in Ireland remains at record levels.

A GET tough approach, making examples of financial companies engaged in over-charging and slack practices, is to be a key tool employed by the Financial Regulator in his battle to protect consumers.

Complaints made to the Financial Services Ombudsman rose by more than a quarter last year, figures revealed today.

THE Financial Services ombudsman has sent out a stark warning that things at his office are going to change while also calling for more powers to name and shame.

Bill Prasifka - current chairman of the Competition Authority - has been appointed as Financial Services Ombudsman.

The Seanad has approved the Government's emergency legislation to guarantee all the deposits held by the six Irish-owned banks.

AN INSURANCE company has been ordered to pay €200,000 to a former professional rugby player by the Financial Services Ombudsman after it refused to pay out a claim under an insurance scheme run by the Irish Rugby Football Union.

FINANCIAL SERVICES IRELAND (FSI) yesterday called for the Government to put in place special migration policy measures for the financial services sector to allow non-EU nationals to enter the Irish labour market.

THE Financial Services Ombudsman’s half-year report of significant complaints decisions highlights a number of breakdowns in communication between financial services companies and consumers — ranging from the quirky to concerning.

The Financial Services Ombudsman has published a list of the main decisions made by his office in the first half of this year, which include an award of €18,500 to an elderly widow whose investment was mismanaged by a leading stockbroking firm.

THE big rise in complaints against companies providing financial services for the public is a cause of considerable concern, especially as it comes amid rumblings that firms are threatening to challenge the constitutionality of the statutory powers vested in the Ombudsman.

Complaints to the Financial Services Ombudsman increased by 23% last year. A total of 2,604 complaints were received - 1,734 for the insurance sector and 870 for credit institutions.

The Irish banking sector is not competitive enough and consumers are paying too much for financial services, an Oireachtas report said tonight.

FINANCIAL Services Regulator chief executive Liam O’Reilly made it clear yesterday that the new authority meant to get off on the right foot.