IRELAND | President appoints Peter Tyndall as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner

On Monday, 2 December 2013, Mr Peter Tyndall was appointed Ireland’s Ombudsman and Information Commissioner. Mr Tyndall received his warrant of appointment from President Michael D. Higgins at a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin.

In accepting the appointment Mr Tyndall said: “I am honoured to be appointed at such an exciting time for both Offices. The extension of the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction means that I will be able to assist members of the public in their dealings with an extensive range of public bodies, making sure they are treated fairly and receive the services to which they are entitled. The impending freedom of information legislation will also give greater scope to the role through the widening of the number of public bodies included within the FOI Act, and help to ensure they operate with transparency and openness.”

Mr Tyndall succeeds Ms Emily O’Reilly and will also serve as Commissioner for Environmental Information, and as an ex-officio member of the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments, the Referendum Commission and the Constituency Commission.

Originally from Dublin, Mr Tyndall previously served as Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. He was also Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Wales, Head of Education and Culture for the Welsh Local Government Association and worked in a variety of senior positions in housing and social care, most notably in developing housing and support services for people with learning disabilities. Mr Tyndall has an MSc in Strategic Management from Cardiff University and is married with three daughters.

For media queries please contact David Nutley (Head of Communications) or Stephanie O’Connell (Communications Officer) at: communications@ombudsman.gov.ie

Source: Office of the Ombudsman of Ireland