Convoluted and stylised "institution speak" is limiting people's access to public services, the Ombudsman and Information Commissioner has warned.
Speaking at the launch of a new quality mark for "plain English", Emily O'Reilly said "quite a high percentage of complaints" to her office were from people failing to understand forms, "and sometimes when we read them we can't understand them either".
The "plain English" quality mark has been developed by the National Adult Literacy Agency (Nala) which already runs an editing and advice service for public and private organisations. For a fee - starting at €70 per review and rising to €450 a day - Nala will simplify and redraft the most convoluted of documents, and target them at a particular audience.
The agency's director Inez Bailey said the quality mark was an additional service, which would benefit businesses and their customers.
"There is an over-reliance on jargon generally," she said. "Certain words are associated with certain sectors. People working with this jargon tend to forget other people are not as used to hearing it."
Nala, a not-for-profit agency that supports literacy schemes for adult learners, also has writing guides for the health, legal and financial services sectors.
Plain English: the Nala way
Hire-purchase contract: Before: Title to property in the goods shall remain vested in the company (notwithstanding the delivery of the same to the customer) until the price of the goods comprised in the contract and all other money due from the customer to the company on any other account has been paid in full.
After: We will own the goods until you have finished paying for them.
Social Welfare booklet: Before: If a late claim is being made, reasons for claiming late should be made known. After: If you are late in claiming, please tell us why.
Report on customer service research: Before: The proliferation of PCs throughout the organisation and the ongoing implementation of the new computer system were identified as developments which will provide opportunities to address quality communications to the customer.
After: We identified that using extra computers and the new computer system will help us improve how we communicate with our customers.
