SENIOR CIVIL servants have been invited to express an interest in applying for one of the most senior posts in the Irish public service, the secretary general of the Department of Finance.
Senior staff were told yesterday that a vacancy for the post of secretary general in the Department of Finance will arise shortly, following the retirement of David Doyle.
Mr Doyle is expected to leave the department early in the new year.
The filling of this post does not come within the remit of the Top Level Appointments Commission and is a matter solely for the Government,
The secretary general at the Department of Finance for public service management and development Ciaran Connolly told staff yesterday that before a decision was taken by the Government on the filling of this post, all suitable officers in the Civil Service would be considered.
However, he said that any officer who wished to express an interest in being considered for the position should contact Mr Doyle indicating their suitability for the job.
He said that expressions of interest should be lodged by noon on Thursday, January 7th.
Among the front-runners for the post is the current secretary general of the Department of Health, Michael Scanlan. He is a former senior official in the Department of Finance who moved to Health in the aftermath of the illegal nursing home charges controversy.
Other likely contenders for the job include three senior officials in the Department of Finance: Donal McNally of the sectoral policy division; Kevin Cardiff in the taxation and financial services division; and Jim O’Brien in the budget, economic and pensions division.
David Doyle, who has led the Department of Finance since mid-2006, became eligible for retirement in November, but his contract runs until June.
The salary scale for the post of secretary general of the Department of Finance has been reduced by 20 per cent following the report of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration and now stands at €255,304.