Peter Tyndall interview: ‘If you are going to have transparency, part of that has to be about ethical standards’

As he prepares to step down as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, the veteran official holds forth on FOI requests, the rise of WhatsApp as a communications record, and his frustrations when dealing with the healthcare system

Departing Ombudsman Peter Tyndall: ‘I look back on my time with some degree of pride. It’s an office that gives you an opportunity to make a difference.’ Picture: Maura Hickey

Peter Tyndall might be stepping down as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, but he has some things to say first.

He thinks some public bodies are resistant to Freedom of Information requests. He doesn’t think the government will grant his office jurisdiction over clinical decisions in health and social care. And the thing that troubles him most is that the “unfit for purpose” legislation governing standards in public office is still in place.

A Dubliner who ...