Profile of Ms Emily O'Reilly, Information Commissioner

Ms Emily O'Reilly was appointed as Information Commissioner on 1 June, 2003 by the President of Ireland, Mrs Mary McAleese. This followed her nomination by both Houses of the Oireachtas (the Dáil and Seanad). She was appointed as Ombudsman on the same day. Ms O'Reilly's roles as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner are entirely separate and distinct.

The Information Commissioner's main function is to conduct reviews of decisions made by public bodies under the Freedom of Information Acts. She also reviews the operation of the Freedom of Information legislation and works to foster an attitude of openness across public bodies.

As Ombudsman, Ms O'Reilly's principal role is to investigate complaints from members of the public who feel they have been unfairly treated by government departments, local authorities, the health services and An Post. More information is available at www.ombudsman.gov.ie.

Ms O'Reilly is also a member of the Standards in Public Office Commission and the Public Appointments Commission.

Prior to her appointment as both Information Commissioner and Ombudsman, Ms O'Reilly was a journalist and author and had been a political correspondent for various media since 1989. She is a native of Tullamore, Co. Offaly, and is married with five children. She was educated at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. She was also the recipient of a Niemann Fellowship in Journalism at Harvard University, Cambridge, U.S.A.

You can read about the Information Commissioner's views on Freedom of Information in "A word from the Information Commissioner".