The most senior permanent Irish official in the European Commission, Mr David O'Sullivan, is to head the cabinet of the Commission President-designate, Mr Romano Prodi.
Mr Prodi made it clear yesterday in announcing the appointment of a non-Italian to the job that he intended it as a sign of a break with the tradition of appointing cabinets that are dominated by commissioners' fellow nationals. The appointment was described by a senior Irish official as "every bit as important as our choice of our next commissioner".
As the right hand of the Commission President, the job is a key post in the Brussels hierarchy with enormous influence over the detailed implementation of policy, and will be critically sensitive in the coming period of internal reform. The current incumbent, Mr Jim Cloos, is widely seen as the power behind the Santer throne.
The appointment of Mr O'Sullivan (46) marks a remarkable rise through the ranks of the Commission for the Irishman, who was in January appointed director-general in charge of the education, training and youth directorate, DGXXII, under Commissioner Edith Cresson.
The appointment was welcomed by a former Irish director-general, Mr Eamonn Gallagher, who said it was both a tribute to Mr O'Sullivan and to the calibre of Irish public servants in the Commission.
The new powers of the President of the Commission under the Amsterdam Treaty make the post even more significant than in the past, he said.
Mr O'Sullivan said he was "deeply honoured" by the appointment to what would be a hugely challenging post.
Mr O'Sullivan succeeded Dr Tom O'Dwyer as head of DGXXII and is a former member of the cabinets of Mr Peter Sutherland and Mr Padraig Flynn. He is one of the youngest officials to have risen through the ranks of the Commission staff to director-general level.
The son of the former chief of staff of the Defence Forces, Lieut Gen Gerry O'Sullivan and Mrs Phil O'Sullivan, he was educated at St Mary's College, Rathmines, and Trinity College Dublin where he was a gold medal debater and auditor of the College Historical Society.
He attended the College of Europe in Bruges, then worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs, before joining the Commission in 1979.
His experience since then has included periods in external relations; on the EU's delegation to Japan; in Mr Peter Sutherland's cabinet, working on relations with the European Parliament; in DGXXII from 1989-'93 running programmes on university-industry co-operation and higher education co-operation with central and eastern Europe; as deputy chef de cabinet to Mr Padraig Flynn; and two years as a senior official in the social affairs directorate, managing the European Social Fund and then budgets and personnel.
He played a crucial role in the Flynn cabinet as an architect of much of the social and employment policy strategy.
Mr O'Sullivan is married to an architect, Ms Agnes O'Hare, and they have two children.
