The Ombudsman

On 1st December 2005, Paulyn Marrinan Quinn, SC was appointed as Ombudsman for the Defence Forces by President Mary McAleese.

A barrister by profession, Ms. Marrinan Quinn, is one of the leading experts on helping people resolve disagreements and disputes through mediation and arbitration.

In 1992, Ms. Marrinan Quinn became Ireland's first Insurance Ombudsman where she resolved disputes between policyholders and insurance companies.

Ms. Marrinan Quinn's groundbreaking work in this role was recognised both nationally and internationally. For instance, in the mid-1990s, she advised the Hungarian Government on the establishment of a Pension Ombudsman.

Ms. Marrinan Quinn is a founding member of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association. She served on the sub-committee that established ‘Standards of Best Practice for Ombudsmen’.

In addition to a wealth of practical experience in dispute resolution, Ms. Marrinan Quinn, has a distinguished academic record. She founded a postgraduate programme on conflict and dispute resolution studies at the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College, Dublin. She has also lectured at both University College, Dublin and the University of Limerick.

Ms. Marrinan Quinn has served on the editorial boards of the Irish Insurance Law Review and the Irish Financial Services Law Journal. She is an active member of the Bar Council's Alternative Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Committee.

Ms. Marrinan Quinn is also an established documentary maker. Most recently, she devised the RTE Radio series Case Stated which examined key legal cases that changed people's lives.

Paulyn lives in Dublin. In her spare time she enjoys tennis, music, theatre, cinema and walking by the sea.

(The Ombudsman's cv may be seen on the academic staff section of the Trinity College Irish School of Ecumenics website)