Kevin Murphy (Irish ombudsman)
Encyclopedia
Kevin Murphy was appointed Ombudsman
by the President of Ireland
, Mary Robinson
, upon nomination by both Houses of the Oireachtas
. His term of office began November 1, 1994 and ended in 2003.
As Ombudsman, he dealt with complaints against government departments, local authorities etc. Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, 1997, he also held the newly created office of Information Commissioner
from April 1998. The Information Commissioner may review decisions of public bodies in relation to requests for access to information.
In June 2003, Emily O'Reilly
succeeded Murphy in both posts. Though Kevin had originally been due to retire as early as 2002 when he'd turned 65, he has continued to serve Ireland in public life, including in 2006 sitting on a committee to appoint members of the new Irish Press commission.
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
by the President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
, upon nomination by both Houses of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
. His term of office began November 1, 1994 and ended in 2003.
As Ombudsman, he dealt with complaints against government departments, local authorities etc. Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, 1997, he also held the newly created office of Information Commissioner
Information Commissioner
The role of Information Commissioner differs from nation to nation. Most commonly it is a title given to a government regulator in the fields of freedom of information and the protection of personal data in the widest sense.-Canada:...
from April 1998. The Information Commissioner may review decisions of public bodies in relation to requests for access to information.
In June 2003, Emily O'Reilly
Emily O'Reilly
Emily O'Reilly is an author and former journalist and broadcaster who became Ireland's first female Ombudsman in 2003, succeeding Kevin Murphy....
succeeded Murphy in both posts. Though Kevin had originally been due to retire as early as 2002 when he'd turned 65, he has continued to serve Ireland in public life, including in 2006 sitting on a committee to appoint members of the new Irish Press commission.