New Ombudsman

HFXOC

Informed sources have indicated that Ms Emily O'Reilly, the Ombudsman in waiting, is treating this appointment as a likely stepping stone to the Aras in 2011. If successful Ms O'Reilly would continue the recent feminisation of the Park.

The good thing about this is that it would scupper Mary Harneys chances of ever getting there!

dahamsta

Anyone have any background on Emily O'Reilly off the top of their heads? I'll Google later, but in the meantime...

TIA,
adam

Typedef

If Mary Harney was quitely tucked away into a role as the President, it could take out one fringe politician with no mandate from the people trying to run the country.

Make her President, the very Mary Harney can do then is send a bill back to the Dial three times (as opposed) to supporting the use of Irish airports for the killing of Iraqi innocent civilians in a non-UN mandated action.

Victor

She won't automaticly be Information Commissioner will she? I thought it was only that the existing Omdusman would be the first Information Commissioner.

Emily O'Reilly to be appointed as State's next Ombudsman
Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2003/0326/1270181268HM1OMBUDSMAN.html

The senior journalist Ms Emily O'Reilly is to become the State's next Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, replacing Mr Kevin Murphy who is to retire from June 1st.

The Cabinet decision yesterday to put forward Ms O'Reilly was made after a recommendation by the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy. The Government will now propose her name to the Dáil and Seanad for approval, following which the President will be asked to appoint her. The appointment will be for a six-year renewable term.

Mr Murphy announced yesterday that he will step down on June 1st, emphasising that his decision was taken before the recent controversy over the Government's plans to amend the Freedom of Information Act.

Mr Murphy recently defended himself against criticism from the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, who claimed that as Information Commissioner, Mr Murphy had overstepped his powers in publishing a commentary of the sections of the Act the Government now proposes to amend. Ms O'Reilly, a political columnist with the Sunday Times, has been Political Correspondent of the Irish Press, Political Editor of the Sunday Business Post, Northern Editor of the Sunday Tribune, Editor of Magill magazine and a broadcaster with RTÉ and Today FM. She has also written three books. She said yesterday that while the office to which she is expected to be appointed is called that of Ombudsman, "I will be an ombudswoman but will have no difficulty in being referred to as either". She did not know whether the title could be changed to reflect the gender of the appointee, but pointed out that there were ombudswomen in other countries.

Mr Murphy has been Ombudsman since 1994, when he succeeded the first Ombudsman, Mr Michael Mills. He added the post of Information Commissioner in 1998 following the passage of the Freedom of Information Act.

He said yesterday he had decided to retire last year when he turned 65. However, he stayed on to serve as an ex-officio member of the Referendum Commission during the Nice Treaty campaign, and to complete a special report on the refusal of the Revenue Commissioners to accept a recommendation of his about paying interest and compensation to certain taxpayers who had been taxed too much.