The aid agency Goal has appointed former Fianna Fail minister of state Barry Andrews as its chief executive.
Mr Andrews was elected to the Dail in 2002 and served as minister of state for children from 2008 to 2011. He is a former secondary school teacher and a barrister by profession. He is a son of former foreign affairs minister David Andrews.
Goal chairman Pat O’Mahony welcomed the appointment.
He said Mr Andrews will take up his post “shortly”.
“He will initially meet with international donors, governments and senior staff in each of the 12 countries where Goal currently operates.”
Mr O’Mahony expressed his gratitude to PWC and independent interview panel members, Senator Martin McAleese; HR consultant, Mary Murphy and former director general of the Department of Justice and Goal Board member, Tim Dalton.
Mr Andrews said he was delighted to take up the new challenge.
“I look forward to the challenges ahead and to build upon the historic legacy of my predecessor and the organisation’s founder, John O’Shea.”
Mr O’Shea, who founded Goal in 1977, stepped down at the end of August in acrimonious circumstances.
He settled a High Court action against the board aimed at stopping it from taking steps to remove him from his position.
Goal describes itself as “non-denominational, non-governmental and non-political”.
It has responded to almost every major natural and man-made disaster and catastrophe in the past 35 years. The agency said it had spent in excess of €720 million on the delivery of aid to the poor in more than 50 countries.
Its total spending last year was more than €60 million.