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Complaints Procedure

The Loughs Agency welcomes any suggestions for improving its services and you can help by using our comments and complaint procedure. Your experience can help us improve our services so that you, and others, receive an even better service in the future.

Our aim:

We aim to ensure that:

 Making a complaint is as easy as possible;

 We treat your complaint seriously whether it is made in person, by telephone, by letter, or by e-mail;

 We deal with it promptly and politely and in confidence;

 Investigate complaints thoroughly and fairly;

 We learn from complaints and use them to improve our service. How to make a formal complaint

You can complain in writing, by e-mail, by telephone or in person. To ensure your complaint is processed please contact Sean Ashford, Legislative and Data Protection Officer, at Loughs Agency Headquarters in Prehen.

When you inform us of your complaint, please provide as much detail as you can. This will help to speed up our reply. If you are e-mailing, please state if a reply by e-mail is acceptable and, if not, please provide a full postal address.

What happens next?

We will receipt your complaint within 5 working days and attempt to respond fully within 21 days. If there is a delay in responding we will keep you informed of progress.

If you are not satisfied with the initial response you receive, or the way in which your complaint has been handled, you can ask to have your complaint referred to the Chief Executive (if not previously involved).

If the Chief Executive has been previously involved or if you are still not satisfied your complaint will be dealt with by the Chairman of the Board of the Foyle and Carlingford Irish Lights Commission.

If you are still not satisfied

If you feel the Agency has not handled your complaint satisfactorily you can write to our Sponsor Departments.

In contact:

Lynne O’Neill Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Room 354 Dundonald House BT4 3SB

In Ireland contact:

Denis Maher Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment Elm House Earlsvale Road Cavan Co Cavan H12 A8H7 Ireland

If, after taking these steps, you are still dissatisfied, complaints may be brought to the attention of the Ombudsman via a Member of the Assembly (MLA) or Taoiseach Deputy (TD) at the addresses below:

Northern Ireland Ombudsman 33 Wellington Place Belfast BT1 6HN

Office of the Ombudsman 18 Lower Leeson Street Dublin 2

Usually, the Ombudsman will expect you to have used our complaints procedure before he will consider your case.

Loughs Agency, 22 Victoria Road, Prehen, Derry~Londonderry, BT47 2AB Tel: 02871 342100

E-mail: [email protected] www.loughs-agency.org Complaints form

Name:

Address:

Postcode

Telephone:

E-mail:

Complaint – please provide as much detail as possible.

Preferred method of response: By letter By phone In person By e-mail

Signed: Date:

Office Use: Received: Referred to: