– 10 cases resulted from withdrawal of the complaint; – 52 claims were dismissed, following the competent study of the case, or judging unable or useless the adoption of other measures. The year 2016 has deepened the already identified tendency of previous years, regarding the strengthening of Regional Autonomous Administration (41%) as the main interlocutor in complaints addressed to the Ombudsman, to the detriment of the role assumed by the Local Administration (21%). In this context, the municipality of Funchal has consolidated its predominance, gathering a majority of 52% in the complaints, followed by the municipalities of Santa Cruz and Ponta do Sol (13% each). Concerning the Regional Government of Madeira, it should be highlighted the position held by Regional Directorate for Tax Affairs and by the Social Affairs Institute with a percentage of 21% each in the complaints. In the global context of the complaints brought before the Ombudsman, and for the first time in many years, the traditional predominance of environmental and urban development cases gave way to the complaints relating to the rights of taxpayers and consumers (28%). 70 |