An ad-hoc committee to discuss reports of improper government practices could help break the “frustrating” deadlock in parliament which often sees such reports ignored, the Ombudsman has said.

Creating a formal mechanism for parliamentary oversight would ensure the ombudsman’s recommendations are reviewed and acted upon.

In his yearly plan tabled in parliament last month, Ombudsman Joseph Zammit McKeon says the findings in his reports affect people’s lives and often prompt remedial action by the public administration.

The Ombudsman said the problem is when a public body refuses to implement a recommendation, the only course of action is to report the issue to parliament.

“Past experience has shown that the mere presentation before parliament of final reports of the Ombudsman did not tangibly resolve the impasse created by the non-implementation of recommendations by the executive,” the Ombudsman said.

This year, the Ombudsman reiterated his request for a procedure that could possibly resolve the present stalemate by setting up a dedicated parliament committee.

“Despite that request, the situation is still unresolved to date. Nonetheless, the public should rest assured that the office will continue to insist on changes for the better.”

The Ombudsman said his office believes that much more can be done by parliament to make his reports more effective. He said the proposed parliament select committee would have the remit to examine and give direction to the government on findings by the Ombudsman.

It would also be able to consider the quality and standards of services provided by the public administration and submit recommendations.