HELEN DIXON IS to become a Commissioner to the Commission for Communuications Regulation (ComReg) after her tenure as Data Protection Commissioner ends in February. 

ComReg is the statutory body responsible for the regulation of the electronic communciations sector and the postal sector in Ireland. 

Dixon was appointed as Data Protection Commissioner in 2014 and is currently in the final year of her second term in the role. 

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that the Data Protection Commission’s size and remit has “expanded significantly” through Dixon’s time in the role. 

“Helen has led the organisation through this expansion and an evolving data protection landscape following the enactment of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018,” McEntee said. 

“With Helen’s second term in office due to end in 2024, I am delighted that our public service will continue to benefit from her experience, expertise and leadership following her departure from the DPC,” she said. 

Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan today announced Dixon’s appointment as a Commissioner to ComReg. 

This follows an open competition run by the Public Appointments Service. 

Ryan said Dixon will “bring considerable national and international experience to this role, particularly in an evolving regulatory and legal framework where telecoms and postal sectors have seen rapidly accelerated digitalisation”. 

The Minister said ComReg is “facing into a challenging period” and that Dixon’s appointment will “further strengthen the leadership required to stay abreast of major developments in the digital sector, ensure an appropriate regulatory response to challenges and opportunities and proactively engage with consumers”. 

Dixon has previously held senior roles in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation working on economic migration policy, science, technology and innovation policy. 

She is due to take up her new role in early 2024.