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It is also as you very demonstrated a function of very strong free occupation
of the post-communist democracies in Europe with human rights which is
also reflected in the titles of the institutions which you represent unlike
the more traditional ombudsman who in fact have a different orientation.
So, the issue of the intervention before the court is critical, it is important
to know the kind of latitude that you have I will say that for example the
European ombudsman whom I served for 10 years until 2012 did not have
any possibility of intervening before the court and we are talking about
intervention not initiation. Initiating before the court is much more difficult
issue but intervening before the court the European ombudsman granted
as right for the first time in 2013. So, in European legal order this particular
right which you have and which you are serving so very well is very much
recent phenomenon and still one that is developing.
Thank you very much for an excellent presentation. I will now give the floor
to the ombudsman of Ireland, Mr. Peter Tyndall, an old colleague in the
European ombudsman network and currently also the Second Vice President
of the International Ombudsman Institute where he is representing, so to
speak the European interest not the only one but the European element in
the IOI. With a great pleasure I give the floor to, Peter Tyndall.

PETER TYNDALL (Ombudsman of Ireland)

Thank you Nikiforos and can I begin by echoing the thanks to our host
here the Chief Ombudsman and his colleagues for organising this
splendid seminar, thank you very much.
I have been asked to speak about the important topic of the ombudsman
relationship with parliament. That relationship is a pivotal one when
it breaks down or is operating in an ineffective way then becomes very
difficult for the ombudsman to have recommendations implemented
and faced with resistance from bodies within the ombudsman
jurisdiction. It is a briefly background that the IOI is quite often asked
to intervene when there are difficulties between ombudsman and their
parliaments and we had issues in Slovakia where the ombudsman’s
report in to the education of children led to an annual report to the
parliament being rejected which is unprecedented in my opinion. So,
clearly is possible for there to be tension in the relationship and if any
of us are doing our jobs properly as ombudsman then from time to
time governments are not going to be happy with what we have to

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