Elaine Byrne: How Ombudsman negotiated an Irish solution to an Irish problem

The job of the Ombudsman is to stand up for the individual citizen against the institutions of the state and, despite finding his powers considerably restricted by the Irish system, that is what the quietly effective Peter Tyndall did

Ombudsman Peter Tyndall, whose term of office ends next month. He has called for a fundamental review of the legislation underpinning the Ombudsman’s office. Picture: Maura Hickey

Joni Mitchell, the celebrated singer-songwriter, famously sang that “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”.

There is much in life we take for granted. For instance, the ability to drive a car, to go to hospital and receive the right care and medication, or to be awarded the correct marks in your Leaving Certificate exams. All of these diverse but essential areas of everyday life were the subject of recent investigations by the ...