Appointment of IAA Aviation Regulator

The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan T.D. has today welcomed the appointment of Mr. Diarmuid Ó Conghaile as the new Aviation Regulator with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). Mr Ó Conghaile will take up his appointment from 1 January 2021.

Minister Ryan said:

“I wish to congratulate Mr. Ó Conghaile on being appointed as the new Aviation Regulator with the IAA. Diarmuid takes the reins at a very important time, when Ireland’s aviation regulation arrangements are being modernised and brought into line with international best practice. Diarmuid will exercise a role of critical importance in the transition necessary to separate the IAA’s dual roles of aviation safety regulation and commercial air navigation service provisions. This transition will run up to the legislative institutional separation of the two current IAA functions – upon which Diarmuid will be CEO of Ireland’s newly consolidated Aviation Regulator, responsible for safety, security, economic and consumer protection functions.

It is vital, particularly at this time, that Ireland’s regulatory arrangements are robust and responsive to the many challenges facing the aviation sector on a number of fronts. Securing Ireland’s international reputation as being to the forefront of regulatory high standards will therefore be central to the new Aviation Regulator’s role.”

Minister of State for Transport, Ms. Hildegarde Naughton T.D. added that:

“I would like to join Minister Ryan in extending my congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Ó Conghaile on this very important regulatory appointment. The establishment of a new, modern regulator will act as a single point of entry for safety, security, economic and consumer regulation requirements, and it will provide clearer and more efficient lines of communication and customer service for the travelling public, industry, and workers within the aviation sector”.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The Government’s aviation regulation reform initiative involves the establishment of a single national aviation regulator, through the merging of the aviation safety and security regulatory functions of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) with the economic and consumer protection functions of the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR). The IAA’s existing for-profit air navigation services (ANS) function will be established as a standalone commercial semi-State body.

The Minister intends to publish the legislation required to give formal legal effect to the restructuring of the IAA and the CAR at the earliest available opportunity – with the intention that such legislation will be listed as part of the Government’s priority legislation for this autumn’s Dáil session.

In the meantime, in order to ensure the timely implementation of Government policy and in preparation for the enactment of the necessary enabling legislation splitting out the existing IAA’s commercial ANS function – and the consolidation of all of Ireland’s aviation regulatory functions through the merger of the IAA’s Safety Regulation Division with the CAR – all necessary administrative and practical management arrangements need to be put in place as soon as possible. To assist in this, the Government has approved the recruitment of a new Aviation Regulator, who has been appointed by the Board of the IAA to a senior leadership role in advance of taking up the formal position of Aviation Regulator Chief Executive Officer of the newly reconstituted IAA aviation regulator.

Mr. Ó Conghaile was selected for the position of Aviation Regulator as a result of an independent international competition run by the Public Appointments Service. He is currently CEO of the Malta Air, a Ryanair group subsidiary, and has previously held senior management positions in Ryanair, daa and An Post, as well as positions in the National Competitiveness Council, Forfás, the National Economic and Social Forum, the European Commission, and a number of Government Departments.