The Government has approved the appointment of Aidan Dunning as the new secretary general of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr Dunning, currently an assistant secretary in the Department of Finance, will replace Brendan Tuohy who is retiring after completing his seven-year term in the post.
Mr Dunning has spent the bulk of his career in the Department of Finance, most recently dealing with public expenditure policy notably in the areas of transport and environment. He also co-ordinated the drafting at official level of the National Development Plan 2007-2013. He worked in the Department of the Taoiseach in the mid-1990s on European policy and was closely involved in the 1996 Irish presidency.
The Cabinet also approved the appointment of a number of ministerial advisers yesterday at its final meeting before the August break. Among them are Liam Reid, former Irish Times environment correspondent who has been appointed as a special adviser to Minister for the Environment John Gormley, along with Ryan Meade and David Healy.
Cathy Herbert has been appointed as special adviser to Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan, while Oliver O'Connor, Patricia Ryan, Derek Cunningham and John O'Brien have been appointed as special advisers to Minister for Health Mary Harney.
