Tomás Quintana ha recibido esta mañana en la sede del Procurador del Común al delegado del Gobierno de Castilla y León, Nicanor Sen. Ambos han expresado la plena colaboración institucional con el objetivo de defender los derechos de los ciudadanos de la Comunidad. En el encuentro, el defensor del pueblo autonómico ha trasladado al delegado del Gobierno las quejas más frecuentes que reciben y que tienen a la Adminitración General del Estado como destinataria, con el fin de mejorar y avanzar en la mejora de los servicios que presta el Estado en las diferentes provincias  de Castilla y León. Nicanor Sen se ha comprometido a reforzar el diálogo entre los diferentes organismos para tratar mejorar y buscar la soluciones ágiles a los problemas que los ciudadanos trasladan al Procurador del Común.

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In May, the Ombudsman of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, and the People`s Advocate of Romania, Renate Weber, travelled to the two countries together. The goal was to exchange information and experience on the observance of the rights of national minorities in Ukraine and Romania, which is one of the issues on Ukraine’s path to EU accession

(The whole briefing is available at the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights office)

In accordance with Article 22(4) of the Ombudsman Act, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, has submitted the Final Opinion to the House of Representatives concerning a Malta Police Corps officer who was not awarded the Long and Efficient Service Medal after a long and diligent service.

The complaint

The complainant, having served almost thirty-three years with the Malta Police Corps, both in a regular and reserve capacity, complained about not being awarded the Long and Efficient Service Medal. He argued that his diligent and dedicated service, including volunteering as a Reserve Police Constable after reaching retirement, warranted the medal and its clasps.

The investigation

The investigation revealed that the medal is awarded for an aggregate of 18 years of efficient service with irreproachable character and conduct, with clasps awarded for additional service. The Ministry for Home Affairs and the Commissioner of Police denied the medal, citing six disciplinary offences committed by the complainant, with the last offence occurring in 1998. They argued that according to their criteria, ten years must pass without further offences to qualify for the medal, and since the complainant retired in 2001, only three years had passed. The Ministry also stated that time served as a Reserve Police Constable does not count towards the medal.

The Ombudsman noted the Ministry’s acknowledgement of the significant role and duties performed by Reserve Police Constables, comparable to regular officers. Public statements from both the Ministry and the Commissioner of Police recognised the value and contributions of Reserve Police Constables.

Conclusions and recommendations

The Ombudsman concluded that the complainant’s total service, combining regular and reserve periods, amounted to over thirty-two years. Given that more than ten years had passed since his last disciplinary offence by the end of his service in 2022, he met the criteria for the medal. The reluctance to recognise his reserve service was seen as unjust, especially in light of public admissions regarding the importance and equivalence of Reserve Police Constables’ duties.

The Ombudsman recommended that the complainant’s total service be acknowledged and the Commissioner of Police reassess his eligibility for the Long and Efficient Service Medal and its clasps. The refusal to award the decorations was deemed an injustice, and the complainant’s service should be rightfully recognised.

Outcome

The Ministry expressed disagreement with the conclusion that the complainant suffered an injustice. They emphasised that the engagement of Reserve Police Officers (RPCs) differs significantly from that of fully-fledged police officers. RPCs receive a service pension during their tenure, which does not apply to regular officers, and their service is not pensionable. Additionally, RPCs are not considered police officers at all times, and their powers cease at the end of their assigned duties. The Ministry highlighted that RPCs work varying hours based on the needs of the disciplinary force and that their service should not be equated with that of regular officers.

The Ministry also noted that the interpretation and implementation of the Rules for Honours, Awards, and Decorations fall outside the remit of the Malta Police Force and are determined by the President of Malta on the advice of the Prime Minister. Consequently, they regretted that the recommendations could not be implemented.

Therefore, since the recommendations were not implemented, the Ombudsman sought the Prime Minister’s direct intervention according to the law. However, since the request to the Prime Minister was of no avail, the Ombudsman sent the report to the Speaker of the House, who in turn tabled it before the House of Representatives.

El síndic de Greuges de la Comunitat Valenciana, Ángel Luna, ha dirigido varias recomendaciones al Ayuntamiento de Alicante para que adopte, con determinación y prontitud, las medidas pertinentes para prestar todos los servicios públicos a los que está obligado en la partida del Moralet, y especialmente al abastecimiento de agua potable.

La actuación del defensor del pueblo valenciano se originó tras la queja de un representante de la asociación de vecinos de la zona que denunciaba la inactividad del ayuntamiento ante la falta de suministro de agua potable en la partida del Moralet. Un problema, que según el representante vecinal afectaba a unos 1.200 residentes de la zona que tiene la calificación de suelo urbano y uso residencial.

En el informe municipal remitido a esta institución se daba cuenta de la complejidad urbanística de esta partida. De ahí que el Síndic sugiera al Ayuntamiento que lleve a cabo extensiones de red que puedan servir como puntos de acometida de servicio a las parcelas cercanas, aunque no estén sujetas a la concesión de licencias de edificación. También pide que se ejecuten depósitos de almacenamiento de agua potable o bien que establezcan convenios de suministro con otros ayuntamientos. Todo ello con el objetivo de disponer del servicio esencial de agua potable en las viviendas del Moralet.

Igualmente, Luna urge a la administración local a responder de forma expresa y motivada a la asociación de vecinos afectada, a notificarles la resolución adoptada y a detallarse los recursos que pueden ejercer para defender sus derechos en caso de discrepancia.

Consulta nuestra resolución sobre este asunto.

The Ombudsman recently took part in a number of outreach activities in County Waterford.

On Wednesday 22nd of May, Ombudsman Ger Deering Ger was delighted to be invited to speak at the Waterford Public Participation Network (PPN) Plenary. We would like to thank Waterford PPN for the opportunity to speak at the event and to engage with many community groups doing amazing work around Waterford.

The following day, he was interviewed by Damien Tiernan on Waterford Local Radio’s Déise Today Show. During the interview, he discussed some recent cases and encouraged Waterford residents to get in touch with his office if they have complaints about public services. You can listen to the interview below.