Thursday 8 October 2026 is International Ombuds Day. The day occurs every year on the second Thursday in October and is marked around the globe. The day offers an opportunity to raise awareness of the important role of an Ombudsman and its services. The theme of Ombuds Day this year is the ‘impact and value of the Ombudsman’.

The impact of our Office on people’s lives is not just felt by those who bring complaints to us. By carrying out systemic investigations the Ombudsman has brought about improvements in public services that benefit people beyond those who brought complaints to us.

Below is a small selection of the investigations carried out by our office and the positive impact they made to public services for everyone.

We have also produced a short video in conjunction with other Ombudsman Offices in Ireland to mark the occasion. You can watch the video here.

Our Impact: Investigation Reports

In Sickness and In Debt: An investigation into ‘treatment abroad’ schemes administered by the HSE

Published in 2023 the investigation found an unreasonable and inflexible approach by the HSE in administering schemes that fund treatment abroad for healthcare which the State is either unable to provide, or unable to provide in a timely manner in Ireland. For example, in one case a patient who borrowed from family members to pay for the treatment was denied reimbursement.

We made 21 recommendations to improve the administration of the schemes. The HSE accepted all the recommendations and reviewed existing cases, either at our request, or at the request of patients. This resulted in patients who were previously denied reimbursements receiving their full entitlement. In addition patients have now been provided with access to a meaningful appeals process. Read: In Sickness and In Debt

Opportunity Lost: Magdalen Restorative Justice Scheme Investigation

The incarceration of women in the Magdalen laundries and the forced labour to which they were subjected is one of the sorriest episodes in our history. The Ombudsman’s 2017 investigation looked at the administration of the Magdalen Restorative Justice scheme. The report made four key recommendations.

• Eligibility for admission to the Scheme – too narrowly defined

• Application Process - women had to apply for the scheme without being told what the criteria were

• Capacity – lack of assistance for some of the older women who lack capacity to look after their own affairs

• Developing future schemes – guidance should be provided based on learnings from this scheme.

The first three recommendations were accepted. As a consequence of the recommendations, the scheme was re-advertised and 121 additional applications were received by the Department. Because of another recommendation, the Department engaged a Senior Counsel to review 216 disputed cases.

In overall terms, €31.95m was paid to 805 applicants under the scheme.

With the fourth recommendation the Ombudsman engaged with DPER on the development of Guidance on Redress Schemes for Government Departments and Offices. Read: Opportunity Lost

A Good Death: A Reflection on Ombudsman Complaints about End of Life Care in Irish Hospitals

‘A Good Death’ was published in 2014. This report raised a number of thematic issues that the Ombudsman had identified relating to end-of-life care in hospitals. It had been prompted by engagement with the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) and reflected on the lessons that needed to be learned arising from complaints to the Office over the years.

Arising from the report, the HSE set up a Joint HSE/IHF Oversight Group to support the embedding of the Hospice Friendly Hospital Programme across the hospital system. An Investigator from the Office was also a member of the Oversight Group.

A robust network of Hospice Friendly Hospitals now exists involving many of our acute and community hospitals nationwide. Their collective commitment has brought about measurable improvements in the culture of care and organisation regarding dying, death and bereavement in all types of hospitals. Read: A Good Death