Service Users Charter 2025-2027

At the Parole Board we are committed to delivering a high‐quality service to our service users. This charter sets out the standards of service you can expect from us.

We are committed to making sure that our services take into account the needs of all our service users.

• Our office will be accessible to all service users who visit.
• We will try to keep waiting times in our reception areas to a minimum.
• We will keep our reception and waiting areas clean and tidy, and will improve our facilities where necessary.
• If you need an interpreter at your meeting with the Parole Board and have advised us of this in advance we will provide one.
• We will continue to review and improve access for our service users with disabilities.

• We will answer your calls from 10 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday (apart from public holidays).
• We will deal with your call politely and as quickly as possible.
• We will give you our name and tell you which unit we work in.
• If we cannot deal with your enquiry promptly, we will explain this and arrange to call you back or write to you as soon as possible.
• If we have to transfer your call, we will tell you who we are transferring you to and why.

• We will acknowledge all correspondence (letters and e‐mails) within five working days of receiving it.
• We will send you a full reply within 20 working days or, if this is not possible, we will send you an explanation of our current position and what we will do next.
• All our letters will give a contact name and phone number.

If you have a meeting with the Board about your parole application or the revocation/variation of a Parole Order, we will do the following:

• When you are meeting with the Parole Board to discuss your application for parole, where possible, we will give you notice of the date and time of your meeting.
• We will try to meet any special needs you have because of a medical condition or disability that you have told us about prior to the meeting.
• At your meeting we will give you the opportunity to fully explain your case.
• We will provide you with free legal representation during the parole process, if requested.
• If you need an interpreter for your meeting and have given us advanced notice we will provide one.
• We will assess your application fairly and independently.
• We will make a decision about your application or the revocation or variation of your Parole Order, as the case may be, as soon as possible after your meeting.
• We will write to you with our decision.

You will find more information about the parole process in our information leaflet for parole applicants.

If you are a victim who has made submissions to us, we will do the following:

• We will acknowledge receipt of your submission within 5 working days.
• If you wish to make a submission to the Board in person we will give you notice of the date and time of your meeting.
• We will try to meet any special needs you have because of a medical condition or disability that you have told us about prior to the meeting.
• At your meeting we will give you the opportunity to provide your submission to the Board.
• We will provide you with free legal representation during the parole process, if requested.
• If you need an interpreter for your meeting and have given us advance notice, we will provide one.
• We will write to you and inform you of the Parole Board’s decision and the reason(s) for the decision.
• We will deal with all queries promptly and efficiently.

You have a right to complain if the service you receive from us does not meet the standards set out in this charter, or if you believe that any action or decision that we have taken is not in line with our rules, practice or policy. If you want to make a complaint, please write to our Service User Liaison Officer.

For all complaints we receive, we will do the following:

• Acknowledge your complaint within five working days of receiving it.
• Investigate your complaint thoroughly.
• Send you a full reply within 20 working days or, if this is not possible, send you an explanation of our current position and what we will do next. You will find a copy of our complaints procedure on our website www.paroleboard.gov.ie or you can contact our Service User Liaison Officer by phone or e‐mail (see section 9 for details).

Please note that this complaints procedure does not cover our decisions about parole applications or how we arrive at these decisions.

The Board will treat your information as confidential except where disclosure is necessary in the performance of the Board’s statutory functions.

We will make sure that our website:

• Is kept updated;
• Is accessible to people with disabilities; and,
• Contains relevant information for all of our service users.

Our website address is www.gov.ie/paroleboard

We welcome your comments about our website, which you can send to us using the contact details below.