The office of the Ombudsman was criticised by Mr Dick Roche (FF, Wicklow) during a debate on its annual report.

He said he was disappointed at "the failure of this very important public office to make a real impact on public administration". The office should be the litmus test of the relationship between the citizen and the State.

He added that the lack of public impact of the office was graphically illustrated in the steady decline in complaints within the ombudsman's jurisdiction, which were recorded in the annual reports.