A compliance rate exceeding 90 per cent in handling individual complaints has been recorded, Ombudswoman Maria Stylianou Lottides told MPs on Friday.
Presenting her office’s budget for 2026 before the House finance committee, Lottides said it was increased by 2.77 per cent from the 2025 budget and stood at €2,625,462.
She added that 82.6 per cent of expenditure was earmarked for salaries and allowances, with 10.6 per cent covering operational costs.
The office employs 47 staff, including 33 officers, ten clerical workers and four hourly-paid employees.
Lottides called for more positions to be created, highlighting the expanding mandate of the office, which now includes responsibilities concerning the equality and anti-discrimination body, the national mechanism for the prevention of torture, the national human rights authority, and the forced return monitoring mechanism.
She reported that compliance with her recommendations on individual complaints exceeds 90 per cent, while compliance in cases involving formal reports is around 50 per cent. Most complaints concern issues such as entry, benefits and residence permits for foreigners, social benefits and property matters.
The ombudswoman said legislation empowers the office to call services for testimony or information in cases of non-compliance, a power that is regularly exercised with positive results.
On the new disability legislation, Lottides said she engaged with the organisations representing the disabled and that her input during consultations led to the deputy welfare ministry involving them for the first time in discussions.
Referring to the legislation regulating protests, the ombudswoman said her feedback had been partially incorporated and that remaining concerns were in line with an opinion issued by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Regarding sexual harassment cases, she stressed that recommendations issued under her authority as the equality and anti-discrimination body “are binding.”
