THE GOVERNMENT will appoint a new head of the Civil Service at its last meeting before the summer break tomorrow.
The Cabinet is set to decide on who will replace Dermot McCarthy, who has been secretary general to the Government and to the Department of the Taoiseach for more than a decade.
The meeting will also make a final decision on a new secretary general in the Department of Justice to succeed Seán Aylward, who is stepping down after seven years.
The Government has reserved to itself the right to appoint the secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach. As regards the justice position, the Government will make its choice based on the recommendations of the top level appointments commission.
Neither department was prepared to divulge the names of any candidates last night.
There was speculation over the weekend that the post in the Taoiseach’s department may go to one of four assistant secretaries – Philip Hamell, Martin Fraser, Philip Kelly or John Callinan. There have also been rumours surrounding Rory Montgomery from the Department of Foreign Affairs. He has been Ireland’s permanent representative to the European Union since 2009.
However, a former colleague of Mr Montgomery in foreign affairs, Geraldine Byrne Nason, was appointed to the new position of second secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach earlier this month.
She has been given responsibility to co-ordinate policy in relation to the EU, supporting the Government Economic Management Council, and for co-ordinating support for the Tánaiste through a new Office of the Tánaiste.
A source said last night it would be unusual for the two top positions in the Department of the Taoiseach to be filled from foreign affairs. The source, however, did not rule out the possibility.
Elsewhere yesterday, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan announced that High Court judge John Cooke will chair the Constituency Commission.
The commission will be formed as soon as the Electoral Amendment Bill is signed into law by President Mary McAleese, which is expected to happen today.
The commission will advise the Government on revisions to constituencies that are necessitated by the provisional returns from the 2011 census. In addition, notwithstanding an increase in population, the commission will also be required under the legislation to reduce the number of TDs from 166 to between 153 and 160.
Alongside Mr Justice Cooke, the other members of the commission are: clerk of the Dáil, Kieran Coughlan; clerk of the Seanad, Deirdre Lane; Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly; and the secretary general in the Department of Environment, Geraldine Tallon.
