The Tax Appeals Commission (TAC) has appointed five new temporary Appeal Commissioners. The TAC has provided us with the names and biographies of those appointed. The five new Appeals Commissioners are:
- Andrew Feighery
- Claire Millrine
- Simon Noone
- Clare O’Driscoll
- Conor O’Higgins
Four have taken up their posts, with the fifth commencing on 25 April 2022.
Andrew Feighery
Andrew Feighery is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Fellow of ACCA, holds the QFA, FLIA and RPA qualifications from the LIA, has a MBA, is a CEDR Accredited Mediator and is a Barrister. In addition, Andrew was awarded a certificate in Personal Insolvency from Chartered Accountants Ireland, a certificate in Mortgage Practice and a diploma in pensions from the LIA, an advanced diploma in Corporate, White-Collar and Regulatory Crime from Kings Inns and became a CEDR accredited mediator in 2019.
Prior to joining the Commission, Andrew ran an established accountancy practice specialising in taxation for over 25 years and practiced at the Bar of Ireland from 2014 to 2022 specialising in taxation and commercial cases.
Claire Millrine
Claire was awarded a Degree of Bachelor of Civil Law from UCD in 2001 and a Degree of Barrister-at-Law from The Honorable Society of King’s Inns in 2003. Claire also holds a Diploma in Judicial Skills and Decision Making from the Law Society of Ireland and is a CEDR Accredited Mediator.
Prior to joining the Commission, Claire was Head of Legal Services and Investigations for CORU. Claire has also worked with the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman Bureau dealing with the adjudication of disputes between complainants and financial service providers and practised at the Bar of Ireland from 2003 to 2015.
Claire has also held various appointments, as an adjudicator and Appeals Tribunal Member with the Residential Tenancies Board, as a member of the Fitness to Practise Committee of the Veterinary Council of Ireland and a member of the Fitness to Practise Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland dealing with complaints relating to professional conduct.
Simon Noone
Simon was awarded a primary degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2004, before being awarded a Diploma in Law (2007) and the Degree of Barrister-at-Law (2008) from The Honorable Society of King’s Inns. He also holds a Diploma in Legal French and a Diploma in Finance Law from the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, and is in the final stages of studying for a Masters in Law (LLM) from the London School of Economics.
Simon practiced at the Bar of Ireland from 2008 to 2013, and subsequently was employed by the Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau, the Office of the Information Commissioner, and most recently the Central Bank of Ireland, where he was a Legal Manager. He has also been an adjudicator, and subsequently a tribunal member, for the Residential Tenancies Board.
Clare O’Driscoll
Clare holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science, a Higher Diploma in Business Studies, an LLB, an LLM and an Advanced Diploma in Quasi-Judicial Decision Making and is a barrister.
Clare O’Driscoll was called to the Bar in 2007 and practiced on the South-Western Circuit in general practice with a focus on family and employment law. In addition to practicing as a barrister Clare was appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality in 2017 as a Tribunal Member at the International Protection Appeals Tribunal and sat as a Tribunal Member until January 2022 making decisions on the most challenging cases involving claims for international protection and Dublin III. Prior to being called to the Bar, Clare worked in the automotive industry for almost a decade for a manufacturing company in the area of procurement.
Conor O’Higgins
Conor holds a BA from UCD and advanced diplomas from Kings Inns in Planning and Environmental law and Data Protection law.
Conor is a barrister who was called to the Bar of Ireland in 2011. His practice focused primarily on the areas of judicial review and administrative law, environmental law, EU and customs law. He is the author of the chapter on Practice and Procedure in the Annual Review of Irish Law and previously was a case reporter for the legal journal Stare Decisis Hibernia and for Law Matters in the Irish Times. He has worked on a voluntary basis with the Free Legal Advice Centre since 2018 and was treasurer of the Climate Bar Association until his appointment as an Appeals Commissioner.