The search is on for a new head of the Revenue Commissioners after the current chairman Josephine Feehily informed staff yesterday that she is to retire.

Ms Feehily was appointed to the role to succeed Frank Daly by then minister for finance Brian Cowen in March 2008.

She was the first woman to hold the post.

The recruitment process for Ms Feehily's successor has begun with an advertisement for a new commissioner on the Public Appointments Service website and in the press today.

The closing date for applications for the role is October 2nd.

Ms Feehily, who is from Clarina, Co Limerick, previously worked in a range of positions in the Department of Social Welfare and the Pensions Board. She is a graduate of the National College of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin.

She joined Revenue in 1993 as head of Human Resources and also served as Accountant-General of Revenue.

In her role as chairman, Ms Feehily’s board-level executive responsibilities have included policy and legislation, tax collection, strategy and organisation development, the so-called ‘ Large Cases Division’ and the Customs Service.

She was elected as Chair of the World Customs Organisation, an alliance of 179 countries that shapes international customs policy and trade in June 2011. She held that role for three years until June this year.

In November 2012, she was selected as chair of the OECD Forum for Tax Administration.

Ms Feehily’s departure date has not yet been confirmed as the Top Level Appointments recruitment process takes several months. It is expected that the new Revenue board will be in place for 2015, however.