Online-safety chief to take up ComReg role
The current Online Safety Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM) has been appointed as a commissioner at communications regulator ComReg.
Niamh Hodnett’s appointment, which follows an open competition run by Publicjobs, was announced today (12 May) by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’ Donovan.
A qualified solicitor, Hodnett has previously worked at ComReg, at law firms in both Ireland and Brussels, and in a variety of in-house legal and regulatory roles.
She was appointed Online Safety Commissioner at CnaM in 2023 when the watchdog was established, and she oversaw the development, adoption, and application of Ireland’s first online safety code.
Experience ‘invaluable’
She currently chairs the Global Online Safety Regulators Network (GOSRN).
Minister O’Donovan said that her considerable experience would be “invaluable” at ComReg.
“She will be regulating an industry of increasing importance to our economy, as we see a growing reliance on electronic communications services,” he added.
The appointment is due to take effect from 22 June, and the department says that the post of Online Safety Commissioner at CnaM will be filled “as soon as possible” through an open competition.