Structures and Funding

The Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman were established under the Companies Acts 1963 to 2006 and 2014, and in accordance with the Constitution of the Press Council, as an independent regulatory body to consider, investigate, resolve or adjudicate on complaints received from the public of possible breaches of the Press Council's Code of Practice by member publications

In their operations, policies, and in their application of the Principles of the Code of Practice, the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman are independent both of the press industry and of government.

The finances of the Press Council and of the Office of the Press Ombudsman, including funding, premises, and staffing, are provided, under the terms of the Constitution by the Administrative Committee of the Press Council, which is chaired by an independent member of the Council.

Each member title of the Press Council is levied by the Administrative Committee in accordance with its circulation to meet the funding requirements of the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman.

The Administrative Committee includes representatives of NewsBrands Ireland, Local Ireland, Magazines Ireland, online-only news publications, and the National Union of Journalists. Membership at April 2022  - Professor Maeve Conrick  (Chair), Seamus Dooley, Cliff Taylor, Adrian Acosta, Bob Hughes, Ann Marie Lenihan, Catherine Lee, David McDonagh, Paul Henderson,  Colin Kerr and Colm O'Reilly.

Further details of the finances of the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman are available in the Annual Reports of the Press Council and the Office of the Press Ombudsman published each year, and available here.