[attach id=258280 size="medium"]Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino.[/attach]
Like many other countries, Malta should have its own National Human Rights Institution and, rather than creating another authority, the Ombudsman’s Office should be entrusted with the task.
This was one of the suggestions Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino put to the House Business Committee, chaired by Speaker Anġlu Farrugia, yesterday.
He also said the Constitution should incorporate an Administration Ombudsman whose function would be to audit the Administration. It would be a constitutional office enjoying the backing of at least two-thirds of the members of the House.
Dr Said Pullicino said the three commissioners for health, the environment and education, appointed since last August, had integrated well and were giving a sterling service through their vast experience in their individual sectors.
Although some of the Ombudsman’s recommendations were not accepted or implemented, the success rate was over 90 per cent. He complained about the fact that, even though the Ombudsman was a parliamentary institution, the House was not involving itself as it should and some of his office’s reports to Parliament were not acted upon.
Complaints in the past three months had drastically fallen but that was only because people who felt slighted were knocking on other doors.
The situation was expected to revert to normal soon.
Dr Said Pullicino said the rapport with Mepa had been difficult before the advent of former CEO Ian Stafrace.
The rapport with former auditor Joseph Falzon had been very good.
Two main issues on the Ombudsman’s agenda were waiting times at the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital and environmental issues.
When Dr Said Pullicino said his office would be renewing efforts to give the people more information about it and how to approach it, Dr Farrugia said he hoped that the live streaming of the House Business Committee’s meeting was helping in this direction.