Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I support the appointment of Ms O'Reilly as Ombudsman. I thank the Minister for widening the remit of the office and the scope of her duties, of which I had not been aware. I knew Ms Emily O'Reilly before her appointment as Ombudsman, and I knew the two previous holders of the office. There is little doubt that the Office of the Ombudsman has been helped by the people appointed to that position since 1984.

There are several examples of important reports and recommendations by Ms O'Reilly to improve the transparency and fairness of our society. She has taken on board everything we have allocated to her office, including the Disability Act 2005. There has been much soul searching about the abuses perpetrated on victims in State institutions. Ms O'Reilly's work as Ombudsman has also highlighted abuses that continue to occur. In a report last December, which I only saw a few days ago, the Ombudsman found that an 88 year old woman received care that fell far below what could reasonably have been expected in a nursing home in Mullingar, County Westmeath. She said the investigation by her office showed the nursing home failed to ensure the patient's most basic needs were catered for, including being adequately fed and hydrated.

She also highlighted the revelations about FÁS, which were taken up by our colleague, Senator Shane Ross, in the Sunday Independent , were due in part to the Freedom of Information Act, for which she has responsibility. However, we still appear to be lagging behind in several areas with regard to freedom of information. Recently, Ms O'Reilly rightly expressed anger at the failure of the Government to subject the Financial Regulator, the Central Bank, the National Treasury Management Agency and the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission to the Freedom of Information Act. At a meeting of an Oireachtas joint committee this morning I suggested to the Minister that the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, should also be included under that Act. I support the Ombudsman's aim to bring these bodies under the remit of the Act.

The re-appointment of Ms O'Reilly will allow her to continue her good work to achieve the goals she has set and for which she has established such a reputation.