Four appointed to Financial Services Ombudsman Council

Four new members have been appointed to the council that prescribes guidelines under which the financial services ombudsman operates.

The appointments to the Financial Services Ombudsman Council were made following a public competition held by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) which specifically sought candidates with expertise in the areas of consumer-protection issues, the financial services industry and the pensions industry.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has appointed former Irish Independent business editor Maeve Dineen to be the council's chair. She will be joined by Consumers' Association of Ireland chief executive Dermott Jewell, the chief executive of the Health Insurance Authority, Don Gallagher, and solicitor Elizabeth Walsh.

Other members of the council include Valerie Bowens, Ken Murnaghan and Deborah Reidy.

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The functions of the council include prescribing guidelines under which the Financial Services Ombudsman is to operate and determining levies and charges payable for the performance of the associated bureau.

The ombudsman is a statutory officer who deals independently with unresolved complaints from consumers about their individual dealings with financial service providers.