CUSTOMER
CHARTER DEPARTMENT OF
ARTS,
SPORT
AND
TOURISM Mission Statement "To contribute to
the
economic,
social
and
cultural
progress
of
Irish
society
and
the
enrichment
of
its
quality
of
life
through
promoting
sustainable
tourism;
encouraging
excellence
in
sporting
and
artistic
achievement;
facilitating
greater
access
to
sport
and
the
arts;
and
the
preservation
of
our
cultural
inheritance" MAY 2003
DEPARTMENT
OF
ARTS,
SPORT
&
TOURISM
CUSTOMER
CHARTER
We
are
committed
to
providing
you,
our
customer,
with
an
excellent
service.
This
charter
sets
out
the
standards
of
service
you
are
entitled
to
expect
from
us. TELEPHONE
ENQUIRIES
We
will
be
available
to
answer
your
calls
during
normal
office
hours
(9: 15am
-
1: 00pm
and
2:
15pm
-
5: 30pm
Monday
to
Friday
[5: 15pm
on
Friday]).
Our
aim
is
to
answer
at
least
90%
of
calls
within
15
seconds,
be
courteous,
identify
ourselves
and
our
area
of
work,
be
helpful
and
provide
you
with
clear
and
accurate
information
-
if
we
cannot
provide
an
immediate
answer,
take
details
and
call
you
back
at
an
agreed
time.
We
will
only
connect
callers
to
voicemail
when
the
person
they
wish
to
speak
with
is
unavailable
and
we
will
aim
to
respond
to
voicemail
messages
within
one
working
day.
WRITTEN
COMMUNICATIONS We will acknowledge all written communications within 5 working days of receipt,
and
provide
a
definitive
reply
to
at
least
95%
within
20
working
days
(excluding
"write-in"
campaigns).
In
cases
where
there
is
going
to
be
a
delay,
we
will
send
you
an
interim
reply
explaining
the
position
before
the
20
day
period
expires.
Our
staff
will
provide
you
with
full
contact
details
and
a
reference
number
(where
applicable). PERSONAL CALLERS We will be available
to
meet
punctually
with
you,
by
appointment,
during
normal
office
hours
and,
where
it
is
unavoidable,
we
will
try
to
be
flexible
outside
such
hours.
We
will
receive
you
courteously,
be
fair
and
helpful
to
you,
and
deal
with
your
enquiry
as
soon
as
possible.
We
will
provide
appropriate
facilities
for
meetings
and
ensure
that
our
offices
are
clean
and
safe.
OUR
WEBSITE We will ensure
that
our
website
is
kept
uptodate,
complies
with
disability
access
requirements
and
contains
information
relevant
to
our
customer
base.
We
welcome
your
views
on
the
quality
of
our
website
which
you
can
provide
through
an
on-line
feedback
facility.
Our
website
address
is:
http://
www.
arts-
sport-
tourism. gov.
ie/
THE
PROVISION
OF
INFORMATION
We
will
ensure
that
all
our
generally
available
information
is
accessible
in
both
electronic
and
printed
formats
We
will
provide
accurate
information,
using
clear
and
simple
language
that
is
relevant
to
your
enquiry.
We
will
supply
prospective
grant
applicants
with
eligibility
criteria
and
appropriate
information,
explain
exactly
what
is
required
in
application
forms
and
ask
only
relevant
questions.
We
will
make
decisions
as
quickly
as
possible,
giving
our
reasons
for
them. EQUAL STATUS
POLICY
We
are
fully
committed
to
providing
a
service
that
is
accessible
and
relevant
to
all
our
customers,
accommodates
needs
and
aspirations
specific
to
particular
groups
of
customers
and
seeks
equality
of
outcome.
We
will
consult
with
our
customers
to
ensure
that
their
access
needs
are
addressed
and
we
will
provide
appropriate
staff
training
to
support
the
equal
status
policy.
SEIRBHÍS
TRÍ
GHAEILGE
Tabharfar
freagra
as
Gaeilge
ar
chomhfreagras
a
gheofar
i
nGaeilge.
Deanfar
gach
iarracht
freastal
ar
fhiafraithe
teileafoin
i
nGaeilge
agus
freastal
ar
dhaoine
a
thagann
i
lathair
ar
mian
leo
a
ngno
a
dheanamh
tri
Ghaeilge.
COMPLAINTS You have a right
to
complain
if
the
standard
of
service
you
have
received
is
not
on
a
par
with
set
out
in
this
Charter
or
if
you
believe
that
an
action
or
decision
that
affects
you
is
not
in
accordance
with
the
rules,
practice
or
policy
of
the
Department.
The
rules
and
practices
of
the
Department
are
available
in
what
is
called
the
Section
15
and
16
manuals
which
can
be
obtained
from
our
website
or
on
request
from
the
FOI
Unit
of
the
Department. If it is not possible
to
resolve
a
complaint
with
the
staff
member
or
section
with
whom
you
have
been
dealing,
you
can
address
your
complaint
to
the
Customer
Services
Manager.
All
complaints
received
will
be
acknowledged
within
3
working
days
and
responded
to
within
20
working
days,
dealt
with
in
a
fair
and
independent
way,
and
unless
a
complainant
wishes
otherwise,
treated
in
confidence
(subject
to
our
obligations
under
the
Freedom
of
Information
Acts).
If
your
complaint
is
upheld
and/ or
we
have
made
a
mistake,
we
will
rectify
it
as
quickly
as
possible
and
offer
an
explanation
and
apology.
If
you
remain
dissatisfied,
we
will
inform
you
of
your
further
right
to
bring
the
matter
before
the
Ombudsman.
FEEDBACK We regard feedback
as
the
key
to
understanding
the
needs
and
expectations
of
our
customers.
To
ensure
that
your
views
and
comments
-
both
negative
and
positive
-
are
communicated
to
us
we
provide
free-post
comment
cards,
an
on-line
facility
on
our
website
whereby
customer
service
feedback
can
be
provided,
and
we
encourage
staff
to
use
their
day-to-
day
contact
with
customers
as
a
means
of
gathering
feedback
on
quality
of
service
provided. FREEDOM
OF
INFORMATION The Freedom of Information Acts
1997
and
2003
(FOI
Acts)
confer
on
the
general
public
the
right
to
seek
access
to
records
held
by
public
bodies
(subject
to
certain
exemptions),
to
seek
reasons
for
decisions
affecting
oneself,
and
to
have
personal
information
about
oneself
corrected.
Should
you
wish
to
make
a
request
under
FOI
for
access
to
records
which
you
believe
are
held
by
this
Department,
you
should
write
to
our
Freedom
of
Information
Unit
at
our
Kildare
Street
Office
stating
clearly
that
you
are
requesting
information
under
the
Freedom
of
Information
Acts.
You
may
also
submit
an
FOI
request
by
e-mail
to:
foi@
dast.
gov.
ie.
HELP
US
TO
HELP
YOU
To
assist
us
in
reaching
our
service
standards,
we
would
be
grateful
if
you
could
quote
any
relevant
reference
number
in
all
communication
with
us
and
ensure
that
application
forms
are
fully,
accurately
and
legibly
completed
by
the
specified
deadline
(where
applicable).
If
you
wish
to
meet
with
a
member
of
our
staff,
you
should
make
a
prior
appointment. LOCATION The Departments
offices,
located
in
two
buildings
at
Kildare
Street
and
South
Frederick
Street,
are
open
between
9: 15am
to
1: 00pm
and
2: 15pm
to
5:
30pm
each
day
(5: 15pm
on
Fridays).
The
Customer
Services
Manager
and
the
FOI
Unit
are
based
in
the
Kildare
Street
Office.
CONTACT
US
Phone:
(01)
6313800.
You
can
dial
a
staff
member
directly
if
you
know
their
extension
number
by
replacing
the
last
four
digits
of
the
phone
number
with
the
extension
number
you
require.
Lo-
call
phone
number
for
callers
from
outside
Dublin:
1890
383000
Fax:
(01)
6611201
E-mail
address:
webmaster@ dast.
gov. ie
(all
staff
also
have
individual
e-mail
addresses,
in
the
following
format
-
firstnamesurname@
dast. gov.
ie ).
Customer
Services:
customerservice@ dast.
gov. ie
FOI
Unit:
foi@ dast.
gov. ie
Web
address:
http://
www.
arts-sport-
tourism.
gov. ie/
OTHER
USEFUL
CONTACTS:
National
Library
(Phone:
01-6030200,
Fax:
01-
6766690) National Museum
(Phone:
01-6777444,
Fax:
01-
6777828) National Archives
(Phone:
01-
4072300,
Fax:
01-
4072333) Arts Council
(Phone:
01-6180200,
Fax:
01-
6761302) Irish Museum
of
Modern
Art
(Phone:
01-6129900,
Fax:
01-
6129999) National Gallery (Phone:
01-6615133,
Fax:
01-
6615372) National Concert
Hall
(Phone:
01-4170077,
Fax:
01-4170078) Chester
Beatty
Library
(Phone:
01-4070750,
Fax:
01-4070760) Irish
Manuscripts
Commission
(Phone:
01-
6761610,
Fax:
01-6623832)
Irish
Film
Board
(Phone:
091-
561398,
Fax:
091-
561405) Music Board
of
Ireland
(Phone:
01-6788481,
Fax:
01-6788483) Archbishop
Marsh's
Library
(Phone:
01-4543511,
Fax:
01-
4543511) Tourism Ireland Ltd
(Phone:
01-4763400,
Fax:
01-
4763666) National Tourism
Development
Authority
(to
be
inserted) Shannon
Development
(Tourism
Division)
(Phone:
061-
361555,
Fax:
061-363180)
Irish
Sports'
Council
(Phone:
01-2407700,
Fax:
01-
2407777) Campus and
Stadium
Ireland
Development
Ltd
(Phone:
01-8097300,
Fax:
01-
8097332)
National
Aquatic
Centre
(Phone:
01-6464300,
Fax:
01-6464325)
2
2
Page 3
Bord
na
gCon
(Phone:
061-316788,
Fax:
061-
316739) Horseracing
Ireland
(Phone:
045-
445645,
Fax:
045-
445699) Ombudsman
(Phone:
01-6785222,
Fax:
01-
6610570) Civil Service
Commission/ Recruitment
body
for
the
Civil
Service
(Phone:
01-8587400,
Fax:
01-
8587500) 3