.JPG "Ombudsman and Freedom of Information Commissioner, Emily O'Reilly, delivers lecture in UCC.")
23.01.2012
On Thursday 17 November 2011, Emily O’Reilly, Ombudsman and Freedom of Information Commissioner, delivered the Annual Philip Monahan Memorial Lecture. The lecture by the Ombudsman was the 13th in the series honouring the life and memory of Philip Monahan, Ireland’s first local authority manager.
Monahan was City Commissioner in Cork from 1924-1929 and he then served as City Manager from 1929-1959. During this time he defined the role of City Manager and the practice of public management in Ireland, setting the highest standards of probity and integrity in public administration. The Philip Monahan Memorial Lecture has become one of the leading annual events at UCC. Over the years it has attracted speakers such as John Hume, Professor Robert Putnam, Dr Mary McAleese, Senator David Norris, Senator Ivana Bacik and Charlie Bird.
During her speech, entitled ‘The Perfect State’, the Ombudsman called for better leadership and a greater appreciation for the intellect. She added that too often we accept the mediocre. She concluded by saying, ‘Culture, it is said, eats strategy for breakfast. Confounding that maxim will ultimately be the true test of this new regime’.
The speech, entitled ‘The Perfect State’ can be found from this link - http://www.ombudsman.gov.ie/en/ - under ‘Speeches and Articles’.
