The board of the Railway Procurement Agency has selected a banker to be chief executive of the statutory body which will operate the Luas light rail system.
While details of the appointment have not yet been finalised, the development is thought to have prompted surprise in transport circles because the agency's acting chief executive, Mr Dónal Mangan, was considered strong favourite for the post. He has led the Luas initiative since its inception eight years ago.
A spokesman for the Railway Procurement Agency declined to comment yesterday when asked about the process of selecting a candidate for the €130,000-a-year post.
The agency was established at the beginning of the year to take over administrative responsibility for the Luas system, currently under construction for introduction in late 2003.
The system will be operated as a public-private partnership by the the French-owned group Connex under the stewardship of the agency which, in turn, is responsible to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Brennan.
It is thought that the individual selected to be chief executive works for a large European Bank which has an operation at the Irish Financial Services Centre in Dublin.
The person does not at present work at the very highest management level in the bank. His duties are in the funding area, it is believed.
It is thought that the person may not yet have resigned his current position.
Observers had expected an engineer to be appointed. It was speculated that this would have been in keeping with longer term plans to develop a metro system in Dublin.
The post was advertised last March and it is thought that there was a significant number of applicants from within and outside the State.
The final selection is believed to have followed a very recent meeting of the agency's board, which is chaired by the former head of IDA Ireland, Dr Padraic White.
The directors are: Mr Colin Hunt, chief economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers; Dr Finola Kennedy, a lecturer at the Institute of Public Administration; Mr David Manley, a consultant; Dr Margaret O'Mahony, a Trinity College Dublin academic; and Mr Tom Wall, assistant general secretary at ICTU.
Mr Mangan has led the Luas project since the establishment of the CIÉ Light Rail Office in 1994.
An engineer and considered highly able, he was managing director of Dublin Bus at that time. He had worked previously as managing director at Bus Éireann and at Iarnród Éireann.
It is expected that discussions with the successful candidate will be completed soon.
The person is thought to have indicated a willingness to accept the post of chief executive.
Mr Mangan's plans are not known. The Rail Procurement Agency spokesman said he was at meetings yesterday and unavailable for comment.
The two Luas lines under construction at the moment will link Sandyford, South Dublin, and Tallaght, west Dublin, to the city centre.
The multi-million project has been long in gestation with the plans the subject of frequent controversy.
