New Central Revenue Information Office launched
The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D., today (13/09/2007) officially opened Revenue's new Central Information Office (CRIO) on Cathedral Street, Dublin. The office provides state of the art facilities for Revenue's growing number of personal callers.
When it originally opened in 1992 the CRIO was designed to deal with up to 150,000 callers per annum: last year the CRIO dealt with over 300,000. The public office has been completely redesigned and refurbished by the OPW to cater for the increase in callers and to provide quality accommodation and improved accessibility. The improvements to accessibility have recently been recognised by the grant of a National Disability Authority award (www.nda.ie).
The new CRIO provides customers with a real choice of channels. Opening from 8.00 am during peak times, it has an innovative self-service internet facility, with assistance available from trained Revenue staff.
CRIO's work has become more challenging in recent years with the changing profile of customers. Almost 70% of callers are now non-Irish nationals. In response Revenue has recruited staff with Polish language skills and has increased the range of forms and leaflets available in a variety of foreign languages on its website.
Speaking at the opening the Tánaiste said, "...the best way of meeting the key social challenges ahead is by putting the individual citizen at the centre of our concerns where the common good must come first. Citizens expect a very high standard of service from the public service. This requires not just a mindset of service but also a real, active commitment to the modernisation agenda. It requires our public service to respond positively and openly to the evolving needs of industry and wider society and to ensure that our bureaucratic framework supports and drives rather than hinders national competitiveness. I feel it appropriate to express such sentiments here this afternoon as Revenue is seen as one of the most effective of our State Bodies in delivering on that agenda to maximise and update the delivery of services to the public. The Office of the Revenue Commissioners is widely regarded as having the right mindset when it comes to the balance between regulation, service, innovation and modernisation."
Revenue Chairman, Frank Daly, said: "This afternoon, to customers of the CRIO and indeed to all Revenue's customers, I pledge our commitment to a 'good service experience' when you do business with us. That means we promise continuous improvement of our service delivery, the roll out of the widest possible range of information sources, maximum choice (where that makes sense) in your channels for dealing with us, enthusiastic implementation of our programme of simplification and personal (and personable) assistance whenever you deal with Revenue."
[Ends 13 September 2007]
A Good Service Experience: Remarks by Revenue Chairman Frank Daly at the Official opening of the new Central Revenue Information Office (CRIO), Cathedral Street, Dublin.