(LRC Revised)

Number 22 of 2017

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN ACT 2017

REVISED

Updated to 6 March 2026

Changes to legislation

as of 10 July 2026, this Act is up to date with all changes known to be in force.

This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the

Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017

. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under

the

Law Reform Commission Act 1975

(3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation

of statute law.

All Acts up to and including the

Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026

(3/2026), enacted 24 February 2026, and all statutory instruments up to and including

the

Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Act 2017 [Financial Services and Pensions

Ombudsman Council] Financial Services Industry Levy Regulations 2026

(S.I. No. 64 of 2026), made 26 February 2026, were considered in

the preparation of this Revised Act.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act,

the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees,

undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature

of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from

any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email

to

revisedacts@lawreform.ie.

Number

22

of

2017

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN ACT 2017

REVISED

Updated to 6 March 2026

CONTENTS

PART 1

Preliminary and General

Section

1. Short title and commencement

2. Interpretation

3. Expenses

4. Regulations

5. Repeals and revocations

PART 2

Establishment of Office of Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman

6. Establishment day

7. Establishment of Office of Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman

8. Appointment of Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman

9. Membership of either House of Oireachtas or European Parliament

10. Acting Ombudsman

11. Removal or resignation of Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman

12. Functions of Ombudsman

13. Functions of Deputy Ombudsman

14. Salary and superannuation

15. Staff of Ombudsman

16. Consultants and advisers

17. Confidential information

18. Exchange of information and co-operation

19. Annual estimate of income and expenditure

20. Accounts and audit

21. Accounting records

22. Accountability of Ombudsman to Public Accounts Committee

23. Accountability of Ombudsman to other Oireachtas Committees

24. Annual report of Ombudsman

25. Publication of certain other reports

26. Strategic plan

PART 3

Dissolutions and Transfers of Functions to Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman

Chapter 1

Dissolution and transfer of functions

27. Dissolution of bodies

28. Transfer of functions

29. References in enactments

30. Transfer of land and other property

31. Transfer of rights and liabilities, and continuation of leases, licences and permissions

granted by dissolved bodies

32. Liability for loss occurring before establishment day

33. Provisions consequent upon conferral of functions or transfer of assets and liabilities

34. Records of dissolved bodies

Chapter 2

Transfer of staff and superannuation

35. Transfer of staff to office of Ombudsman

Chapter 3

Accounts and audits

36. Final accounts and final annual report of dissolved bodies

PART 4

Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council

37. Establishment of Council

38. Chairperson and members of Financial Services Ombudsman Council

39. Financial Services Ombudsman Council

40. Functions of Council

41. Accountability of chairperson of Council to Oireachtas Committees

42. Annual report of Council

43. Financial services industry levy

PART 5

Complaints to the Ombudsman

44. Making of complaints

45. Death or disability of complainant

46. Continuation of investigation on death of complainant

47. Powers of Ombudsman in relation to investigation of complaint

48. Investigation by Ombudsman of complaints made before establishment day

49. Staying of court proceedings

PART 6

Complaints Procedure

50. Jurisdiction of Ombudsman

51. Time limits for complaints to Ombudsman

52. Declining to investigate

53. Complaints declined where section 52 applies

54. Use of internal dispute resolution procedures

55. Requirement for internal dispute resolution procedures

56. Conduct of investigation

57. Complaints for investigation by Ombudsman

58. Mediation

59. Obstruction of work of Ombudsman

60. Complaints and redress: financial service providers

61. Complaints and redress: pension providers

62. Decisions of Ombudsman

PART 7

Appeals and Applications to Court

63. Definitions (Part 7)

64. Appeals

65. Enforcement of Ombudsman decision

66. Questions of law to High Court

67. Appeal of Ombudsman decision

68. Application to Circuit Court

69. Application to District Court

70. Conviction

71. Enforcement proceedings

72. Power of court to grant injunctions in certain cases

PART 8

Other Transitional Provisions

73. Saving of regulations made by former Council

74. Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau

PART 9

Consequential Amendments

75. Amendment of Central Bank Act 1942

76. Amendment of Freedom of Information Act 2014

PART 10

Miscellaneous

77. Reciprocal arrangements with EEA countries

SCHEDULE 1

Repeals and Revocations

PART 1

Acts of the Oireachtas

PART 2

Statutory Instruments

SCHEDULE 2

Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council

Acts Referred to

Adoptive Leave Acts 1995 and 2005

Carer’s Leave Act 2001

(No. 19)

Central Bank Act 1942

(No. 22)

Central Bank Act 1997

(No. 8)

Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 to 2005

Companies Act 2014

(No. 38)

Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993

(No. 8)

Consumer Credit Act 1995

(No. 24)

Courts Act 1981

(No. 11)

Currency Act 1927

(No. 32)

Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003

European Parliament Elections Act 1997

(No. 2)

Finance Act 1921

Finance Act 1958

(No. 25)

Freedom of Information Act 2014

(No. 30)

Income Tax Act 1967

(No. 6)

Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004

Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts 1973 to 2005

Organisation of Working Time Act 1997

(No. 20)

Parental Leave Acts 1998 and 2006

Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016

(No. 11)

Pawnbrokers Act 1964

(No. 31)

Pensions Act 1990

(No. 25)

Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003

(No. 29)

Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001

(No. 45)

Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004

(No. 33)

Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2014

Registration of Business Names Act 1963

(No. 30)

Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013

(No. 20)

Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006

(No. 5)

Statutory Instruments Act 1947

(No. 44)

Taxes Consolidation Act 1997

(No. 39)

Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994 to 2014

Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2015

Number

22

of

2017

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN ACT 2017

REVISED

Updated to 6 March 2026

An Act to provide for the establishment of the Office of the Financial Services and

Pensions Ombudsman and to confer functions on it; to provide for the appointment of

persons to be the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman; to provide for a complaints procedure;

to provide for appeals in relation to decisions of the Ombudsman; to provide for the

dissolution of the Financial Services Ombudsman Council, the Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau and the office of the Pensions Ombudsman; to provide for the establishment

of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council; to repeal certain provisions

of the

Central Bank Act 1942

and the

Pensions Act 1990

and to amend the

Freedom of Information Act 2014

; and to provide for related matters.

[26

th July

, 2017]

Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows

Annotations

Editorial

Notes

E1

Act designated as

national measure for certain purposes (17.01.2020) by

European Union

(Cooperation Between National Authorities Responsible for the Enforcement of

Consumer Protection Laws) Regulations 2020

(S.I. No. 214 of 2020), reg. 4

and sch. ref. nos. 23, 24, in effect as per reg. 1(2).

E2

Previous affecting

provision: Act designated as national measure for certain purposes (17.01.2020) by

European Union (Cooperation Between National Authorities Responsible for the

Enforcement of Consumer Protection Laws) Regulations 2019

(S.I. No. 691 of

2019), reg. 4 and sch. ref. nos. 23, 24; revoked (17.01.2020) by

European Union

(Cooperation Between National Authorities Responsible for the Enforcement of

Consumer Protection Laws) Regulations 2020

(S.I. No. 214 of 2020), reg.

11(f), in effect as per reg. 1(2).

Annotations

Editorial

Notes

E1

Act designated as

national measure for certain purposes (17.01.2020) by

European Union

(Cooperation Between National Authorities Responsible for the Enforcement of

Consumer Protection Laws) Regulations 2020

(S.I. No. 214 of 2020), reg. 4

and sch. ref. nos. 23, 24, in effect as per reg. 1(2).

E2

Previous affecting

provision: Act designated as national measure for certain purposes (17.01.2020) by

European Union (Cooperation Between National Authorities Responsible for the

Enforcement of Consumer Protection Laws) Regulations 2019

(S.I. No. 691 of

2019), reg. 4 and sch. ref. nos. 23, 24; revoked (17.01.2020) by

European Union

(Cooperation Between National Authorities Responsible for the Enforcement of

Consumer Protection Laws) Regulations 2020

(S.I. No. 214 of 2020), reg.

11(f), in effect as per reg. 1(2).

CONTENTS

PART 1

Preliminary and General

Section

1. Short title and commencement

2. Interpretation

3. Expenses

4. Regulations

5. Repeals and revocations

PART 2

Establishment of Office of Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman

6. Establishment day

7. Establishment of Office of Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman

8. Appointment of Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman

9. Membership of either House of Oireachtas or European Parliament

10. Acting Ombudsman

11. Removal or resignation of Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman

12. Functions of Ombudsman

13. Functions of Deputy Ombudsman

14. Salary and superannuation

15. Staff of Ombudsman

16. Consultants and advisers

17. Confidential information

18. Exchange of information and co-operation

19. Annual estimate of income and expenditure

20. Accounts and audit

21. Accounting records

22. Accountability of Ombudsman to Public Accounts Committee

23. Accountability of Ombudsman to other Oireachtas Committees

24. Annual report of Ombudsman

25. Publication of certain other reports

26. Strategic plan

PART 3

Dissolutions and Transfers of Functions to Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman

Chapter 1

Dissolution and transfer of functions

27. Dissolution of bodies

28. Transfer of functions

29. References in enactments

30. Transfer of land and other property

31. Transfer of rights and liabilities, and continuation of leases, licences and permissions

granted by dissolved bodies

32. Liability for loss occurring before establishment day

33. Provisions consequent upon conferral of functions or transfer of assets and liabilities

34. Records of dissolved bodies

Chapter 2

Transfer of staff and superannuation

35. Transfer of staff to office of Ombudsman

Chapter 3

Accounts and audits

36. Final accounts and final annual report of dissolved bodies

PART 4

Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council

37. Establishment of Council

38. Chairperson and members of Financial Services Ombudsman Council

39. Financial Services Ombudsman Council

40. Functions of Council

41. Accountability of chairperson of Council to Oireachtas Committees

42. Annual report of Council

43. Financial services industry levy

PART 5

Complaints to the Ombudsman

44. Making of complaints

45. Death or disability of complainant

46. Continuation of investigation on death of complainant

47. Powers of Ombudsman in relation to investigation of complaint

48. Investigation by Ombudsman of complaints made before establishment day

49. Staying of court proceedings

PART 6

Complaints Procedure

50. Jurisdiction of Ombudsman

51. Time limits for complaints to Ombudsman

52. Declining to investigate

53. Complaints declined where section 52 applies

54. Use of internal dispute resolution procedures

55. Requirement for internal dispute resolution procedures

56. Conduct of investigation

57. Complaints for investigation by Ombudsman

58. Mediation

59. Obstruction of work of Ombudsman

60. Complaints and redress: financial service providers

61. Complaints and redress: pension providers

62. Decisions of Ombudsman

PART 7

Appeals and Applications to Court

63. Definitions (Part 7)

64. Appeals

65. Enforcement of Ombudsman decision

66. Questions of law to High Court

67. Appeal of Ombudsman decision

68. Application to Circuit Court

69. Application to District Court

70. Conviction

71. Enforcement proceedings

72. Power of court to grant injunctions in certain cases

PART 8

Other Transitional Provisions

73. Saving of regulations made by former Council

74. Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau

PART 9

Consequential Amendments

75. Amendment of Central Bank Act 1942

76. Amendment of Freedom of Information Act 2014

PART 10

Miscellaneous

77. Reciprocal arrangements with EEA countries

SCHEDULE 1

Repeals and Revocations

PART 1

Acts of the Oireachtas

PART 2

Statutory Instruments

SCHEDULE 2

Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Council

Number

22

of

2017