Four new assistant secretaries have been appointed in the Department of Foreign Affairs following interviews last week under the chairmanship of the recently retired secretary to the Department of the Taoiseach, Frank Murray. They are: Declan Kelleher from the political division, Martin Green, development co-operation, Justin Harmon, from the Council of Europe and David Cooney from our embassy in Paris.
Meanwhile, speculation continues as to who will get one of the top glamorous jobs in the Civil Service, when Dermot Gallagher moves from second secretary at DFA to be secretary general to the Department of the Taoiseach. He replaces Paddy Teahon, who has gone to the private sector. The appointment will be by the Government on the recommendation of Minister Brian Cowen. Although Gallagher, who leaves Iveagh House for Government Buildings on May 1st, will not sit at Cabinet (that is the job of the secretary to the Government, Dermot McCarthy), he will take over some of McCarthy's responsibilities. McCarthy won't fly, so DAG, as he is known, will be called on to replace him when the Taoiseach, and sometimes the President, travels abroad.
It was originally expected that Ted Barrington would be the new second secretary, but with a new minister, and the Northern deadlock continuing, it is considered that to recall the experienced Ambassador to the United Kingdom at this time might not, despite responsibility for Anglo-Irish affairs being part of the brief, be the best move. Others mentioned include Sean O hUiginn Ambassador to the US, Daithi O Ceallaigh from personnel and Brendan Scannell, Ambassador to Israel.
Any movement in DFA, or the "Court of the Borgias" as it is sometimes called, creates vacancies further down the line and then more speculation. The annual move may be smaller this year, but one already announced is that of Geoffrey Keating to be Consul in Shanghai.