Excessively long inspection procedures undermine trust in public administration
Summary
The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter: Ombudsman) considered the complaint of a complainant who filed a complaint with the Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Housing and Long-Term Care in November 2024 regarding flooding in his apartment. The complainant pointed out that despite repeated inquiries, he had not received any official response in almost a year after filing the application, and the procedure had not yet been initiated by September 2025.Details
The explanations of the Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Housing (IRSSDO) indicated that the average delay between receipt of the application and the start of the consideration is approximately 15 months, which the IRSSDO justified by staff shortages and increased workloads.
The Ombudsman understands the problems associated with staff shortages, but believes that such prolonged inaction is unacceptable. Inactivity lasting almost a year after filing a complaint constitutes a violation of the principle of good governance and reduces individuals' trust in the work of the state administration, and in this specific case may also lead to a deterioration in the living conditions of the complainant.
The Ombudsman assessed the complaint as justified and recommended that, in addition to efforts to systematically strengthen the staff, IRSSDO also adopt internal organisational measures that will enable shorter waiting times for handling complaints and thus greater efficiency of procedures. 20.1-4/2025
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