A retired Garda from Cork who received incorrect information from the Department of Social and Family Affairs regarding his pension entitlements was awarded €32,000 in arrears following a complaint to the Ombudsman.
In a report published today on her office's website, Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly concluded that he had been given incorrect information by the Department on two occasions which gave rise to a legitimate expectation that he was entitled to payment of a special pro rata mixed insurance pension.
Following the Ombudsman's intervention, the Department reviewed its position and agreed to pay the appropriate pension and also paid arrears amounting to over €32,000.
The case was one of three cases published on the Ombudsman's website today aimed at highlighting the work of the office.
Ms O'Reilly said she intends to publish cases more regularly "to help provide a more comprehensive picture of the work carried out by her Office".
Some 66,000 valid complaints had been handled by the Office of the Ombudsman since it commenced its work in 1984.
Also included in today's list was the case of a retired Dublin man who successfully complained about his wife's entitlement to nursing home subvention which had been refused by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
In assessing the level of entitlement, the Ombudsman said, the HSE had jointly assessed the couple's means but in doing so did not do so in accordance with the relevant regulations.
"When this was pointed out to the HSE it paid the complainant's wife nursing home subvention arrears of €5,506 and awarded her a contract bed in the nursing home," she added.
A woman in Dublin was awarded €1,000 in compensation after Dublin City Council failed to inform her of a decision on a planning application within the appropriate statutory deadline.
