The Government today formally approved the appointment of Judge Michael Reilly as the new Inspector of Prisons. He takes over the role from the former High Court judge Mr Justice Dermot Kinlen, who died in July.
Mr Reilly will take up his five-year position on January 1st. The Office of the Inspector of Prisons was set up under the Prisons Act, 2007.
The Inspector is expected to carry out regular inspections of prisons and submit an annual report to the Justice Minister on the state of the service.
Mr Reilly was appointed to the District Court in 1982 and became a judge of the Special Criminal Court ten years later. In 1991 he presided over the Ballycotton Inquiry into the deaths of four fishery protection officers.
He also worked on expert groups studying the public prosecution system and the probation and welfare service.