Factfile: John Fitzgerald

Name: John Fitzgerald.

Age: 51.

Position: Dublin City Manager.

Background: A certified accountant, Mr Fitzgerald was appointed to his current position in June 1996 after serving as South Dublin County Manager for the previous five years. Prior to that, he worked as Assistant Dublin City Manager, as city treasurer and city finance officer.

Why in the news: Earlier this week, Dublin Corporation released draft income and expenditure estimates for 1999. Although the corporation is proposing an increase in commercial rates, it says that balancing the books remains a difficult exercise.