The banking sector has not shown any improvement in how it handles complaints, according to the latest report from the Financial Services Ombudsman.

The Financial Services Ombudsman has warned his office is near breaking point, with the number of complaints up by 27% in the first six months of the year.

The Financial Service Ombudsman (FSO) ordered nearly €400,000 of compensation be paid out to customers of banks, insurance companies, and investment firms in the first six months of the year.

Banks cannot auto-matically deny customers the right to return to a tracker rate mortgage if they switch temporarily to a fixed rate, the financial services ombudsman has confirmed.

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

The Ulster Bank fiasco drove a record breaking number of complaints to the Financial Service Ombudsman over July and August.

More than 100,000 people caught up in the Ulster Bank crisis could be in line for compensation once the scandal is resolved.

The financial ombudsman has described as a milestone the passing of a bill that will grant his office the power to publicly identify institutions about which it receives complaints.

Almost 7,300 complaints were made against firms in the finance sector last year, the majority over insurance policies, it has been revealed.

THE Financial Services Ombudsman wants to give a blow-by-blow account of complaints it has received.

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

COMPLAINTS of harassment by banks and other institutions, mortgage arrears disputes, loan repayments and suspect insurance deals have reached their highest level ever recorded.

BANKS and other financial institutions are still not dealing properly with customer complaints, according to the financial services Ombudsman.

THE economic downturn has caused a large increase in complaints against banks, building societies and other financial institutions with a record number of cases being handled by the Financial Services Ombudsman (FSO).

POWERS to name and shame institutions which offer bad or misleading advice to customers are being pursued by the Financial Services Ombudsman.

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.

The new consumer watchdog for the financial sector demanded the power to name and shame unscrupulous investment firms today.

The Financial Ombudsman William Prasifka has said no complaints have been made to his office arising out of the ash crisis so far.

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

THE Competition Authority said its experience does not support the view there are widespread demands on producers to pay illegal “hello fees” to get their products onto shop shelves.

YOUR article headlined ‘Competition laws may destroy small towns, warn TDs’ (October 30) reported on the appearance before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment by the chairperson of the Competition Authority, William Prasifka, in relation to the grocery market, grocery prices and the retail planning system.

SMALL towns risk being destroyed by competition laws if butchers, bakeries and small shops are replaced by big supermarkets chains.

THE number of grocery shops continues to dwindle as supermarkets gain a greater share of the €11.6 billion-a-year food and drink market.

THE Competition Authority has denied it was tipped off by the Health Service Executive about the controversial decision taken by pharmacists to withdraw from the methadone scheme.

CONSUMERS have suffered price rises of more than 170% in dental fees because of restrictive trade practices and a shortage of dentists, consumer watchdogs revealed yesterday.

Irish people are paying too high a price for their dental care, it was claimed today.

THE Competition Authority gave consumers “false hope” that grocery prices would fall, an Oireachtas committee said yesterday.

The head of the Competition Authority says it is still too early to determine if the abolition of the Groceries Order is having any real effect on retail prices.

THE former chief executive of the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) has been appointed as chairman of the Competition Authority.

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Micheál Martin has announced the appointment of William J. Prasifka as chairperson of the Competition Authority.

THE Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is seeking an urgent review of airport charges following the decision by the aviation regulator to turn down a request for a 50% rise in passenger fees.

THE Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) has proposed increasing Dublin Airport charges for airlines by up to 40% per passenger.

THE budget air carrier which collapsed after only a week in business had no landing slots at Dublin airport for the bulk of flights it was selling.

AVIATION regulator Bill Prasifka has hit back at the Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary, saying his claims were intemperate, ill-informed and unconstructive.

THE aviation regulator has reduced the maximum amount Aer Rianta can charge its customers at its three airports.

AVIATION regulator Bill Prasifka says he will begin a review of airport charges in Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.

PEOPLE hoping to cash in on a free flight offer have been warned they will have no protection under the law if they take up the deal, because the airline is not licensed to operate here.