Speaking at the launch of the Institute of Public Administration's Diploma in Management of Modern Public Service Delivery on 20 June 2006, the Ombudsman Ms Emily O'Reilly referred to the role of ROS in Revenue Customer service.

The Ombudsman commented:

“In recent years will have encountered a new impediment to having our public service demands met and that is – curiously – IT. Information Technology has revolutionised all of our lives. No other invention or development can match that of the internet in our recent history and many of us wonder at how we managed to operated our lives without it before. Yet, the same technology – as used by certain service providers both public and private – is also being used, perhaps inadvertently to fend the customer off, to protect the company or public body's own interest and to downplay and cast aside the human element in service transactions to the great detriment of a real quality service …. the Revenue's on-line service is a model of progressive thinking, yet my office is getting the occasional complaint about difficulties in making telephone contact with the same service. I also have to remind myself, when I speak about the Office of the Ombudsman that many, many people do not have access to the web, and that talking up my new improved website will have relevance to just a limited number of people. So I would ask you all, as this new venture begins, to remember not to be in thrall to technology and to remember that the customer is a living, breathing human voice who just occasionally would like to talk to another one.”

ICAI members will be aware of our ongoing representations in relation to shortfalls in Revenue Customer Service.