Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies for their unanimous endorsement of Ms O'Reilly as Ombudsman. A number of points were made on the legislation and we will have an opportunity to address that when the amending legislation on the Ombudsman comes before the House in the next few months. Deputy Burton thanked the Taoiseach for his courtesy in consulting the party leaders before the appointment. I am glad when Deputy Burton thanks the Taoiseach for his courtesy, but because the legislation requires the appointment to be made by resolution of the House, the intention was that in all cases the Opposition should be consulted not as a matter of courtesy, but as a matter of right on an appointment as important to the constitutional administration of the country as this.

Ms O'Reilly was well known to all of us as one of the ablest journalists of her generation in this country. We all read her work widely and sometimes heeded it and sometimes did not. The same can be said of her work over the past six years as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner and, naturally, we have heeded her warnings in that role. I am pleased that the House is recommending her reappointment.

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