The Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Joseph Zammit McKeon, paid an official visit to the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) at the invitation of the Authority. During the visit, he delivered a presentation and engaged in a dialogue with management and employees about the role and function of the Ombudsman in Malta’s democratic system.

The visit began with a meeting between the Ombudsman and the MCA Management Committee, led by Chief Executive Officer Mr Jesmond Bugeja. During the meeting, Mr Bugeja provided an overview of the MCA’s mission and regulatory functions. He explained that the Authority’s core objective is to promote and safeguard a communications environment that supports investment, innovation, economic growth, and social well-being.

The management also presented the Authority’s ten strategic objectives, ranging from ensuring high-quality services in electronic and postal communications, to supervising digital services, maximising the potential of radio spectrum, and contributing to sector policy development.

Following this exchange, the Ombudsman met with all staff members and delivered a presentation titled “The Ombudsman Remedy in Malta”. He explained the constitutional and legal foundations of the Office, its powers, its jurisdiction, and the investigative processes it follows. He underlined that while the Ombudsman does not issue executive decisions, the institution’s recommendations often lead to meaningful redress and systemic improvements in public administration.

Judge Zammit McKeon also highlighted the importance of transparency, accountability, and fairness in fostering a culture of good governance within public institutions. He concluded by expressing the Office’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the protection of human rights and enhancing trust between persons and the public administration.

At the end of the session, employees were invited to ask questions, leading to an open and constructive discussion on the role of the Ombudsman in upholding administrative justice.

The Ombudsman was accompanied by Dr Brian Said, Head of Investigations and Mr Jurgen Cassar, Head of Communications and Research.

Claire Hédon, Défenseure des droits, ainsi que ses adjoints Éric Delemar (Défenseur des enfants en charge de la défense et de la promotion des droits de l’enfant) et George Pau-Langevin (adjointe en charge de la lutte contre les discriminations et de la promotion de l’égalité) rendent public le rapport annuel d’activités de la 19e promotion de Jeunes ambassadeurs des droits (JADE).

Le Défenseur des droits recrute des jeunes volontaires de 16 à 25 ans en service civique qui deviennent des Jeunes ambassadeurs des droits (JADE). Grace à ce programme, le Défenseur des droits sensibilise les enfants et les jeunes aux droits de l’enfant, à l’égalité et à la lutte contre les discriminations.

La 19e promotion de JADE dresse le bilan

Chaque année, le rapport annuel du programme JADE dresse le bilan des huit mois de sensibilisation aux droits réalisés par les JADE auprès d’autres jeunes partout en France. Entre octobre 2024 et juin 2025, 82 jeunes ambassadeurs se sont engagés en faveur des droits de l’enfant et de la lutte contre les discriminations.

Les JADE ont pu rencontrer plus de 40 000 jeunes à travers la France et les sensibiliser à leurs droits. Après une formation de 150 heures pendant 3 semaines au siège du Défenseur des droits pour acquérir les connaissances fondamentales sur les sujets abordés, les Jeunes ambassadeurs se rendent dans des collèges, des lycées, des centres de loisirs, des hôpitaux, des foyers de l’Aide sociale à l’enfance où ils interviennent et sensibilisent. 

Cette année, les JADE ont participé à de nombreuses initiatives locales : Cross du Calvados, Journée de l’Engagement à Marseille, Hauts-de-Seine Digital Games, ou encore au projet « Jeunes contre le racisme et l’antisémitisme » en Seine-Saint-Denis. 

Le recrutement de la prochaine promotion de JADE ouvre bientôt

Vous avez entre 16 et 25 ans et vous souhaitez vous engager pour les droits ?

Le recrutement pour rejoindre la promotion 2025-2026 du programme JADE sera lancé d’ici la fin du mois de juin. 

Toutes les informations seront disponibles sur la page Devenir JADE

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha protagonizado este miércoles un desayuno informativo en el Club Siglo XXI de Madrid donde ha afirmado que las instituciones tienen la “especial responsabilidad de ser eficientes y justas y, a la par, abrir espacios que propicien la concordia y la convivencia”.

En esta línea, ha explicado cuáles son las principales funciones de la institución que dirige y ha destacado que entre ellas está la de “verificar el respeto de los derechos fundamentales por parte de las distintas administraciones públicas y su actuación de acuerdo con los principios de eficacia, jerarquía, descentralización, desconcentración y coordinación, que se establecen en el artículo 103.1 de la Constitución”.

Entre el público asistente se encontraban la adjunta primera del Defensor del Pueblo, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril y la adjunta segunda, Patricia Bárcena, así como representantes diplomáticos de diferentes países y miembros del Club Siglo XXI.

Durante su intervención, Ángel Gabilondo ha apuntado que el Defensor del Pueblo es un órgano de relevancia constitucional, pero no es juez ni parte en ningún proceso ni procedimiento, aunque colabora para aclarar cuestiones en relación con la acción de la Administración. “No somos un órgano de control del Gobierno, de ningún Gobierno, sino un órgano de supervisión de las administraciones en su relación con los ciudadanos para garantizar sus derechos, dando cuenta a las Cortes Generales”, ha subrayado.

Tras recordar que la Ley Orgánica del Defensor del Pueblo establece en su artículo 6.1 que “el Defensor del Pueblo no está sujeto a mandato imperativo alguno, no recibirá instrucciones de ninguna autoridad y desempeñará sus funciones con autonomía y según su criterio”, ha subrayado que “malinterpretaríamos este decisivo artículo si consideráramos que ello deja la resolución de los asuntos en manos de una determinada arbitrariedad”. Al contrario, ha asegurado, “se trata de evitar toda arrogancia, toda autosuficiencia y de acentuar la responsabilidad y la necesidad de una enorme independencia.

En su opinión, “eso llama a estar a la altura del desafío, a lograr merecer ser escuchado, a no dejarse llevar por la comodidad, por el temor, por la prisa, y, menos aún, por una forma de ambición cuyo único objetivo sea no molestar mucho, que es otra forma de decir molestarse lo menos posible”.

Ángel Gabilondo ha desgranado, además, las principales cifras y actuaciones del Informe del año 2024 del Defensor del Pueblo, que fue registrado en las Cortes Generales el pasado 25 de marzo y que esta misma tarde presenta en el Pleno del Senado. Según ha expuesto, el Informe “va más allá de una mera descripción de problemas, centrándose en la supervisión de la Administración para fortalecer los derechos ciudadanos y la confianza en las instituciones”.

En 2024, el Defensor del Pueblo tramitó 34.629 expedientes, de los cuales resultaron 2.501 resoluciones dirigidas a las administraciones (1.190 recomendaciones, 843 sugerencias, 464 recordatorios de deberes legales y 4 advertencias). Se iniciaron 185 actuaciones de oficio y se analizaron 42 solicitudes de recurso al Tribunal Constitucional. Geográficamente, la mayoría de las quejas llegaron desde la Comunidad de Madrid (8.031), Andalucía (4.155), Cataluña (3.441) y la Comunidad Valenciana (3.231). Por ámbitos de actuación, los más recurrentes fueron la Administración de Justicia, Seguridad Social y Empleo, Función y Empleo Público, Asilo, Migraciones, Interior, Educación, Sanidad, Medio Ambiente y Vivienda.

El Defensor del Pueblo, Ángel Gabilondo, ha clausurado este martes el curso de nuevas promociones del Tribunal de Cuentas.

Ángel Gabilondo ha iniciado su intervención felicitando a la nueva promoción de letrados, auditores y técnicos que se incorporan a la institución animándoles a ser “personas positivas y propositivas”. A juicio del Defensor, “quienes, como ustedes, ofrecen caminos, abren puertas, persiguen otras condiciones, son capaces de pensar a favor de algo, de hablar bien de alguien, de construir, de crear, de ofrecer alternativas son un don para una sociedad que precisa de personas activas que hagan fuertes a las instituciones, que procuren instituciones justas”.

El Defensor del Pueblo también ha reivindicado la importancia de contar con pensamiento afirmativo al señalar que “éste no es una resignación sino un atrevimiento reivindicativo. Un pensamiento afirmativo se implica, se involucra y se compromete”.

Por otra parte, ha trasladado a la nueva promoción la necesidad de “trabajar por los derechos y con los derechos, a fin de acometer la miseria, la ignorancia, la pobreza, el dolor y el sufrimiento”. En este sentido, ha apuntado que “ha de hacerse desde el conocimiento, la cultura y la educación como factores determinantes. Y velando por los legítimos intereses colectivos, por la seriedad, por la austeridad”.

The Ombudsman Institution sent a letter to the Minister of Education Krasimir Valchev, the Chair of the State Agency for Child Protection Teodora Ivanova, the Executive Director of the Cyber Security Directorate at the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime at the Ministry of Interior Vladimir Dimitrov, and the Parents Association, in which it warned about dangerous computer viruses that are spreading in schools. The letter was also sent to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice.

17 June 2025

The Ombudsman Institution sent a letter to the Minister of Education Krasimir Valchev, the Chair of the State Agency for Child Protection Teodora Ivanova, the Executive Director of the Cyber Security Directorate at the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime at the Ministry of Interior Vladimir Dimitrov, and the Parents Association, in which it warned about dangerous computer viruses that are spreading in schools. The letter was also sent to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice.

 The reason for this is a report from concerned parents who are worried about a new trend among students—a game that simulates cocaine use and its effects. It is spreading online, and a subscription costs 84 leva. Parents report that the game contains messages such as “Experience the thrill of being a cocaine dealer 27/7. Send children out on the streets to sell, get arrested, and possibly killed, while you collect the profits.” In the game, each child must prepare cocaine doses to sell.

“Psychologists report that they are already encountering children and students who have been influenced by such content. In the context of the specificities of child development, this becomes a model that they follow, even unconsciously,” writes Dr. Aysun Avdjiev, Secretary General of the Ombudsman Institution, to the competent authorities.

He adds that, according to international sources, similar games such as “Drug Dealer Simulator,” “Cocaine Dealer,” and “Schedule I” are available on various platforms, including Steam, and have gained significant popularity in recent years.

“We are confident that measures to improve students' civic and digital literacy and to include digital safety issues in conversations with parents can be expanded in the field of education. We believe that the Parents Association, as a member of the Public Council for Safe Internet, will raise awareness of this issue through the safe internet hotline, after which concrete steps can be proposed. The State Agency for Child Protection, as the state body responsible for guiding, coordinating, and monitoring policies for children, can organize various initiatives, seeking the support of the Agency's Children's Council,” writes Dr. Avdjiev.

He further emphasizes that despite the publicly stated position that “this is perhaps a moral issue related to parental responsibility and control,” according to the Ombudsman Institution, the Cyber Security Directorate of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime has the expert capacity and competence to recommend possible actions to protect children and young people.

“We believe that it is imperative to quickly monitor the internet for the distribution and search for both this and similar games that encourage children to engage in illegal activities,” said Aysun Avdjiev.

- Calls for government funding for younger people with disabilities in nursing homes

- Complaints to Ombudsman up 30% since 2019

In his Annual Report for 2024 [ published today 18 June] Ombudsman Ger Deering has welcomed the commitment that the Department of Transport is to develop a new scheme to support people with disabilities to access personal transport. Over the last thirteen years the Ombudsman and his two predecessors have highlighted the lack of appropriate supports for people with disabilities since the Mobility Allowance and the Motorised Transport Grant were closed to new applicants.

The Ombudsman said he is “cautiously optimistic that a long-standing injustice is about to be righted”. He added that he will closely monitor progress on the new scheme.

Younger People in Nursing Homes

The Ombudsman also called on the Government to provide “sustainable and annual funding” to support younger people in nursing homes through the Enhanced Quality of Life Supports (EQLS) scheme and, where appropriate, funding to move to more suitable accommodation. Following the Ombudsman’s ‘Wasted Lives’ investigation in 2021 the HSE set up an ‘Under 65 programme’ and successfully transitioned over 100 people to more suitable accommodation. The scheme also improved the lives of those who could not transition out of nursing homes. However, the HSE has said that there is insufficient funding to continue to assist many of the young people to move to more appropriate accommodation or to continue the EQLS programme. The Ombudsman said, “it is completely unacceptable that this excellent programme, which brought hope and independence to people with disabilities cannot be delivered because of a lack of funding.”

Complaints to Ombudsman up 30% since 2019

The Ombudsman’s annual report for 2024 highlights the continued increase in complaints about public bodies received by the Ombudsman which has risen by over 30% from 3,664 in 2019 to 4, 778 in 2024.

The Ombudsman’s team dealt with 4,673 complaints last year - an increase of nearly 5% on the 2023 figure.

In 2024, 1,497 complaints were made to the Ombudsman about local authorities, with 218 received about Dublin City Council and 150 about Cork City Council.

1,397 complaints were received about Government Departments and Offices with the Department of Social Protection being the subject of 604 complaints.

There were 887 complaints about public bodies in the Health sector with 705 involving the HSE and 149 about Tusla.

The Ombudsman also highlighted his Outreach programme which saw the Ombudsman engage with local authority Public Participation Networks across Ireland to raise awareness of the Ombudsman role among local groups, including those in Galway, Kilkenny, Offaly, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow during 2024.

The Ombudsman’s annual report for 2024 summarises some of the complaints he upheld in 2024 including:

Department mistakenly recalled payment from deceased carer’s account

( See page 35 of the Ombudsman annual report for full case study )

‘Anne’ contacted the Ombudsman after the Department of Social Protection recalled a payment of over €2,700 it incorrectly believed it had paid to the bank account of her son and carer, Martin, who had recently died. Anne and her family had contacted the Department several times over a 12-month period to highlight the error and get a refund, but the Department refused.

It emerged that while Anne had notified the Department of her son’s death, the Department had attempted to continue to pay Carer’s Allowance and a Carer’s Support Grant into Martin’s account. As his account had been closed, the bank automatically returned any payments to the Department. However, the Department did not know that the payment had been returned and also recalled the payment which meant that the money left Martin’s bank account in error. This error arose as the Department had not updated the returned payments to its account, and therefore believed that Martin had received the payment.

The Department apologised to Anne for the error and refunded the money it had incorrectly retrieved. It also agreed to pay a Carer’s Support Grant of €1,850 to Anne’s family as a goodwill gesture but also as Martin would have met the conditions of that Grant before his death.

Hospital refused to deal with maternity care complaint as it was ‘outside time limit’

( See page 37 of the Ombudsman annual report for full case study )

‘Fiona’ had a poor experience in the Coombe Hospital when her child was born. She was extremely upset and felt traumatised by the experience. While she had initially raised her concerns with the hospital she remained very upset and ended up making a formal complaint to the hospital two years later. However, the hospital refused to deal with the complaint as it was outside the time limit for making complaints.

The Heath Act, 2004, includes a 12-month time limit for making complaints. However, it also provides for the extension of the time limit where special circumstances make it appropriate to do so.

The Ombudsman queried whether the hospital had considered using its discretion in this case. In response the hospital offered to meet Fiona. As Fiona wanted a written response the hospital issued a comprehensive and empathetic letter which Fiona felt resolved the issues for her.

The Ombudsman raised a similar issue in his annual report for 2023. The Ombudsman called on all public bodies, and particularly those in the health sector, to be mindful that some people may not be in a position to make a complaint within a specific timeframe for a variety of reasons, including feeling upset or traumatised. In such cases the body should consider using its discretion to deal with the complaint.

Woman reimbursed after belongings go missing in hospital

( See page 42 of the Ombudsman annual report for full case study )

‘Andrew’ contacted the Ombudsman when his mother’s belongings, including her dentures and shoes, went missing during her time in St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin. The hospital told him that it had no record of the items being with his mother when she was admitted.

However, the Ombudsman discovered evidence that both the woman’s dentures and shoes were with her when she was in the hospital. An initial report from the hospital’s speech and language therapist showed that Andrew’s mother had no issues eating, while a subsequent report highlighted that she was having difficulty eating and was missing some teeth. The Ombudsman also uncovered a therapist’s report that said she had difficulty ‘putting on her shoes’.

The hospital apologised to Andrew and his mother and reimbursed them for the value of the items lost.

END

Read the Annual Report here

Note for Editors: Further information on the background to the issues mentioned in this media release are available on the following pages of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2024:

• Supports for people with disabilities accessing personal transport – Page 31
• Younger people with disabilities in nursing homes - Page 30
• Further breakdown of complaints received is on Pages 10-12 and Pages 17-25