Ombudsman says her office should be granted constitutional status
The Ombudsman told a Dáil committee today that her office should be given constitutional status.
Emily O'Reilly appealed to the Finance Committee to place her on the same level as the Comptroller and Auditor General, who monitors spending by public bodies.
She said the illegal nursing home charging scandal proved that when administration failed, there could also be a huge cost.
She said she was looking for parity of esteem.
Ms O'Reilly said: “By putting it in the constitution, we'd just draw attention to the fact that good administration is vital, and when it goes wrong it can have a huge cost.”
