Customer Charter
&
Action Plan
2024-2026
January 2024
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 2
Contents
Our Mission ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Our Commitment to our Customers ...................................................................................... 3
Written or Email Contact ............................................................................................................................. 4
Telephone Contact ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Visiting the Central Bank ............................................................................................................................. 5
Levels of service to expect when dealing with the Central Bank ..................................................... 5
Customers with Disabilities ......................................................................................................................... 6
Services through Irish .................................................................................................................................... 6
Websites and Publications ........................................................................................................................... 6
How your input can contribute to the improvement of our services .............................................. 7
Complaints Handling Procedure ................................................................................................................ 7
Customer Action Plan ................................................................................................................. 8
Appendix: Principles of Quality Customer Service ....................................................... 11
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 3
This Customer Charter and Action Plan is the Central Bank of
Ireland’s public statement about the levels of service our customers
can expect when dealing with the various public services offered by
the Central Bank. In delivering our services to the public, the
Central Bank follows the 12 Guiding Principles for Quality
Customer Service (see Appendix 1).
Our Mission
We serve the public interest by maintaining
monetary and financial stability while ensuring
that the financial system operates in the best
interests of consumers and the wider economy.
Our Commitment to our
Customers
The Central Bank is committed to providing a
professional, efficient, and courteous service to all
our customers, i.e. those members of the public who
interact with us in order to receive a service. We will
strive to deliver high quality, easily accessible
services at all times. We will treat all of our
customers equally and make every effort to ensure
that the services we provide reflect our customers’
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 4
needs and expectations at all times during their
engagement with us. We at the Central Bank
commit ourselves to working together to maintain a
workplace environment that encourages and
supports the right to dignity at work. We
respectfully ask that our customers treat our staff
with dignity and respect at all times. We reserve the
right to cease interactions with our customers who
do not adhere to this request.
Written or Email Contact
We will aim to acknowledge correspondence to our public facing
services within three working days
of receipt.
A full response
1
to such correspondence will generally issue within
15 working days or, where this is not possible, we will provide an
interim reply, explaining the reason for the delay and advising
when a substantive response will issue.
Replies will be in clear, plain language, free from jargon and
technical terms as far as possible and in line with the Central
Bank’s obligations under the Official Languages Act.
When responding in full, a contact name or section name,
telephone number and email address will be included in all written
correspondence.
1
For certain services, particularly those provided on a statutory basis, specific response times are applied, including those that are set out in legislation. The response
times for these services are set out in the Customer Action Plan.
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 5
Telephone Contact
We will aim to answer calls to our Public Enquiries helpline
promptly.
Visiting the Central Bank
We will treat visitors to the Central Bank in a courteous manner
and direct them to their destination efficiently and promptly.
We will ensure that our public reception and meeting facilities are
accessible and maintained to the appropriate Health and Safety
standards.
Levels of service to expect when dealing with the
Central Bank
We recognise that different groups of customers may have
different priorities and needs when dealing with the Central Bank
and may require specific commitments regarding service levels.
We have a designated Accessibility Officer available to assist with
specific needs.
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 6
Customers with Disabilities
We will seek to ensure we identify and fully cater for the needs of
people with disabilities. We will make every effort to ensure our
buildings, services and the information we provide are fully
accessible to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
Any queries people may have in relation to accessibility (e.g.
physical access, information provision and customer services) or
universal design, will be dealt with by the Access Officer (see
contact details below).
Services through Irish
We will make every effort to accommodate our customers who
wish to conduct their business through Irish.
We are committed to meeting our obligations under the Official
Languages Act and, in particular, the commitments outlined in the
Central Bank’s Official Languages Scheme.
Websites and Publications
The Central Bank maintains a website that is designed to provide
information on the Central Bank and its activities. We are
committed to the ongoing maintenance and development of our
website to ensure it is accessible, informative and up to date.
We will ensure that our publications are clear, seek to meet user
needs and are available on our website.
We will maintain timely reviews of website content to ensure that
it meets the needs of the public.
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 7
How your input can contribute to the improvement
of our services
We welcome and value your comments and suggestions on all
aspects of our services. This allows us to tailor our services to fully
meet customer needs and serve you better. Please, tell us your
views, comments or suggestions.
Tell us about the level of service you feel you have received,
particularly if you feel that it failed to reach the standard you
expected. Your feedback is important to help us do better the next
time. Contact details for the relevant areas are available in this
document under ‘Customer Action Plan’.
Complaints Handling Procedure
The Central Bank has a complaints procedure in place to help deal
with any expressions of dissatisfaction by a member of the
public/customer of the Central Bank relating to a service they
have received from the Central Bank, as defined in this Customer
Charter, and/or concerning their interaction with the Central
Bank.
The Complaints Handling Procedure sets out how we will deal
with such complaints, with the aim of ensuring issues are dealt
with appropriately.
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 8
Customer Action Plan
Service
Contact details
Service Overview
Response Timelines
Public
Contacts
Unit
Phone: 0818 681 681
or
01 224 5800
Phone lines are open
Monday to Friday
09:00-18:00
Email:
A service responding
to queries and
requests for
information received
from members of the
public
Phone calls: Immediate
Letters and emails: Emails will
receive an automated
acknowledgement of receipt.
A final response will issue within 15
working days. However, if a delay is
anticipated beyond this timeframe,
then a holding email or letter will be
sent.
Freedom of
Information
Requests
Statutory service
which provides
access, to the
greatest extent
possible, to records
held by the Central
Bank
All Freedom of Information
requests will be acknowledged
within 10 working days.
Responses to requests will normally
be given within 20 working days.
Data
Protection
Requests
A statutory
service that
provides a facility
to an individual to
exercise their
subject rights
requests (SRRs)
under the General
Data Protection
Regulation in
respect of
personal data
records held by the
Central Bank
All SRRs will be acknowledged within
5 working days.
Final response to SRRs to issue
within one month of receipt or,
where applicable, can be extended
by up to 2 months (timeline for SRRs
set by Data Protection Legislation).
Complaints
Service offered to
assess complaints
relating to a public
facing service
provided by the
Central Bank
Complaints will be acknowledged
within five working days.
Complaints will, where possible, be
assessed and completed within 40
working days of receipt of the
original complaint. On conclusion of
the assessment, the Complainant
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 9
will be provided with a response to
the complaint.
Access to
Environ-
mental
Information
Service providing
members of the
public with the right
to access
environmental
information held by,
or for, the Central
Bank
The Central Bank will reach a
decision on the request to grant,
part-grant or refuse the information
as soon as possible but at the latest,
within one month from the date of
receipt of the request.
Accessibility
Service offered to
the public to ensure
that the needs of
those with special
requirements can be
met by the Central
Bank
Requests will be responded to within
three working days, where possible.
Central
Credit
Register
The Central Credit
Register provides
credit reports to
lenders and
borrowers on
request, in respect of
loans of €500 or
more
Reports will be issued as soon as
possible.
Requests for the exercise of any
rights under the Credit Reporting
Act 2013, (such as requests for credit
reports, requests to amend
information, insert explanatory
statements; or notices of suspected
impersonation) will require the
inclusion of ID docs. Omitting any ID
documents can stop or slow down
the request.
See www.centralcreditregister.ie for
instructions on how to obtain your
credit report. We can only provide
general information over the phone.
Collector
Coins
Phone:
0818 307 607 within Ireland
+353 (0)1 248 3605 outside Ireland
Phone lines are open
Monday to Friday
09.00-17.00
Email:
Provision of a
support service for
the purchase of
collector coins
issued by the Central
Bank
If the call is unanswered, callers have
the option to leave a voicemail and a
call back will happen within one
working day.
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
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Teller
Services
Provision of a service
for the exchange of
Euro banknotes and
coin, Irish pound
banknotes and/or
coins, issued for
circulation by the
Central Bank
The service can be received directly
at the Central Bank counter which is
open from 13.00-15.30 Monday to
Friday.
If the call is unanswered, callers
have the option to leave a voicemail
and a call back will happen within
one working day.
No timeframe can be committed to
for processing applications for the
exchange of damaged euro and IEP
banknotes as it depends on the
application meeting certain criteria.
Further engagement with the
applicant and internal/external
stakeholders may also be required.
Protected
Disclosures/
Whistle-
blowing
Freephone:
1800 130 014
Phone lines are open
9.30-17.00
Monday to Friday
Email:
For other related reports please see
details here
Provision of a
centralised facility
for members of the
public (including
employees of
regulated firms) to
provide information
in a confidential form
to the Central Bank
regarding a breach of
financial services
legislation or the
concealment or
destruction of
evidence in relation
to such a breach
Telephone Calls: Where calls are
received out of hours and a voicemail
is left which includes contact details,
a call back will happen within one
working day to acknowledge receipt
of the disclosure.
Emails: Email disclosures will receive
an automatic acknowledgement of
receipt with further contact
thereafter if required and in
accordance with the legislative
requirements. Post: Disclosures
received by post will receive a
written acknowledgement within
three working days of receipt, if a
return address is included.
Customer Charter and Action Plan
Central Bank of Ireland
Page 11
Appendix: Principles of Quality Customer
Service
The Central Bank is committed to providing the highest levels of service to all our customers in
accordance with the 12 Guiding Principles for Quality Customer Service:
1. Quality Service Standards
2. Equality/Diversity
3. Physical Access
4. Information
5. Timeliness and Courtesy
6. Complaints
7. Appeals
8. Consultation and Evaluation
9. Choice
10. Official Languages Equality
11. Better Co-ordination
12. Internal Customer
