Planning crackdown - Ombudsman gives voice to public

THE commitment

He was particularly critical of Offaly County Council, which allowed a developer up to three years to furnish the information required for a planning application.

He made the point that such tardiness carries the risk of encouraging unauthorised development and is contrary to the spirit of the planning legislation.

The role of the Ombudsman is crucial in giving a voice and an avenue of recourse to ordinary people in the face of obstinate and impersonal bureaucracy.

For instance, nearly 700 blind people benefited as a result of the office of the Ombudsman intervening in the case of a man in receipt of Blind Welfare Allowance who was getting the wrong payment.

The remit of the Ombudsman is a wide-ranging one and critical in ensuring that justice prevails for the ordinary people who too often are left feeling brow-beaten by officialdom.