Minister McGrath recommends Ger Deering for the role of Ombudsman and Information Commissioner

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath T.D., has announced the selection of Ger Deering as the Government’s nominee for appointment by the President as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner.

Minister McGrath proposed Mr Deering as the Government’s nominee for the role following an open recruitment process which was managed by the Public Appointments Process.

Following Government approval this morning, the proposed appointment will now be referred to a relevant Committee of the Oireachtas for consideration.

Motions will subsequently be put before both Houses of the Oireachtas which recommend the appointment of Mr Deering by the President.

The Minister has also updated the relevant opposition party spokespersons regarding the process.

Mr Deering is the current Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, and brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role. As well as serving as Ireland’s first Commissioner for Taxi Regulation he was the founding director of the National Employment Rights Authority, and has also held a number of senior posts across the Civil and Public Service. The proposed appointment of Mr Deering follows the decision of current Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, Peter Tyndall, to retire at the end of the year.

Mr Tyndall was first appointed by the President to the role in 2013, and was reappointed for a subsequent term in December 2019. He has helped to drive major reforms since his appointment, and played an important role in ensuring that services are delivered effectively and efficiently.

Commenting on the development, the Minister stated:

“I welcome the selection of Ger Deering as the Government nominee for the role of Ombudsman and Information Commissioner.

The selection of Mr Deering follows a competitive recruitment process managed by the Public Appointments Service, which included a thorough search for suitable candidates both in Ireland and internationally.

"Ger brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role, and I am confident that he will build upon the significant contribution which Peter Tyndall made during his time as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner.

"While Peter will be remaining in his role until the end of the year, I would like to publicly thank him for his contributions to Irish public life since his appointment in 2013.”

Notes for Editors

The Office of the Ombudsman was established on foot of the Ombudsman Act 1980. The Ombudsman is given substantial powers by parliament to conduct investigation in respect of the activities of public bodies.

As set out in the Ombudsman Act 1980 , the Ombudsman is appointed by the President, on foot of motions passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas.

As set out in the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012 , the appointment may be preceded by consideration by a committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas as may be designated by the Minister of a person proposed by the Government for such appointment.

Since the Frredom of Information Act 1997 came into force, the Ombudsman has also held the role of Information Commissioner. In addition, the Ombudsman carries out the role of the Commissioner for Environmental Information.

The Office of the Ombudsman also houses the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) and the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA) within its corporate structure.

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the centralised provider of recruitment, assessment and selection services across the Civil and Public Service. PAS provide an open and transparent recruitment process to identify top-quality candidates for public sector roles, with a strong reputation for independent and merit-based selection.

ENDS