The Commission has a wide range of customers including examination candidates and their parents, school principals, teachers, school authorities, other Government Departments and offices, representative bodies, and many other national and international organisations. We are committed to providing a quality service to all our customers in every aspect of our operation. This Charter sets out the standards of service we aim to provide to our customers.

Telephone Service
Written Correspondence
Providing Information
Services Through Irish
Equality and Diversity
Privacy
Appeals
Customer Service Complaints
Help Us to Help You
Monitoring our Performance
Contact Details

• We will provide a telephone service through our main Athlone number, 090-644 2700, from 9.15 AM to 5.30 PM, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. These hours will be extended to cover morning, evening and weekend times over the period of the written examinations in June
• We will answer your call promptly. Our aim is to answer 90% of calls within 30 seconds
• We will identify ourselves and/or our area of work and will be courteous and helpful in our dealings with you
• If we cannot answer your enquiry immediately we will take your contact details and let you know when you can expect to hear from us
• If we need to transfer your call to a colleague we will explain why. We will give you that person’s name and number and ensure that your call is properly transferred.

• We aim to answer 90% of all correspondence within 15 working days
• We will acknowledge correspondence, including e-mails, within 5 working days where an immediate comprehensive reply is not possible
• If it is not possible to give a comprehensive reply within 15 working days we will send you an interim reply, explaining the position and indicating when you can expect a definitive response
• In certain circumstances, for example on receipt of comments and observations on particular examinations, the Commission may avail of its website to provide general information
• We will include a contact name, telephone number and an e-mail address on all correspondence
• We will use clear, simple language in our correspondence with you as well as in our application forms and information leaflets.

• We will provide you with clear, timely, accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information on our policies, schemes and services
• We will arrange that this information is readily available through a variety of methods
• We will do our best to simplify rules, regulations and procedures
• We will maintain our website, www.examinations.ie, as a comprehensive source of information about all aspects of the
examinations service and will continue to provide a range of on-line services through the website
• We will arrange that our website continues to be up-to-date, user-friendly and accessible to our customers.

• We will provide you with clear, timely, accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information on our policies, schemes and services
• We will operate measures to comply with our obligations under the Official Languages Status Act, 2003
• We will continue to provide candidates with the choice of taking their examinations through Irish or English
• We will publish key documents, including our Annual Report, in Irish and English.

• We are committed to providing a service to our customers that upholds their rights to equal treatment established by equality legislation
• We will deal with you in a fair and open manner
• We will endeavour to make our information available in formats which meet the requirements of customers with special needs
• If you have particular requirements regarding access to our offices, please telephone in advance of your visit and a member of staff will meet you and assist you in every way possible.

Formal appeal processes operate as follows;

• 1. Appeals against provisional examinations results including access to a committee of Independent Appeals Scrutineers
• 2. Appeals against decisions of the SEC in relation to applications for Reasonable Accommodations to an independent Appeal Committee

Details of how to access these appellate processes are provided at the time that decisions are issued by the SEC.

We aim to deliver a high standard of service to all our customers. However, if you are unhappy with the quality of service you have received please bring it to our attention. If it is not possible to resolve the complaint with the staff member or manager with whom you have been dealing you can contact the Customer Service Manager (see details below), who will review the matter. All complaints will be dealt with promptly, fairly and impartially.

Customer Service Manager
State Examinations Commission,
Cornamaddy,
Athlone,
Co. Westmeath
N37 TP65
Telephone: 090 - 644 2770 / 644 2851
Fax: 090 - 644 2896

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint or the way it was handled, you may pursue the matter further with the Ombudsman, or in the case of children under 18 years of age, with the Ombudsman for Children. Contact details are as follows:

Address:
Office of the Ombudsman,
18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.
Phone: (01) 639 5600 or Lo-call 1890 22 30 30
Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie

Address:
Office of the Ombudsman for Children,
Millennium House,
52-56 Great Strand Street,
Dublin 1
Phone: (01) 865 6800 Free-phone 1800 20 20 40
Email: oco@oco.ie

• Have information relevant to your enquiry available when you contact us
• Treat our staff and other customers with courtesy and respect
• Complete and return any customer survey questionnaire that we send you
• Make comments or suggestions about the service you receive. We welcome your feedback - positive or negative. If you would like to comment or make a suggestion please contact the Customer Service Manager (see details above) or use the contact form on our website.