Davy Stockbroker's chief economist, Mr Jim O'Leary, will resign from the firm in September.

Mr O'Leary, chief economist at Davy for more than 13 years, said he wished to pursue other interests. "This will give me the time and the scope to assess and survey other opportunities."

One of the State's best known economists, he will remain a member of the Public Sector Benchmarking Body. He may also spend some time teaching.

Mr O'Leary is best known for his work on the Irish economy, particularly at the time of the currency crisis when he argued vociferously for devaluation and later in the run-up to monetary union.

A graduate of UCD, he was also one of the first economists to sell the Irish economic story abroad and was a "trailblazer" in selling Irish bonds in Germany.

He also holds the record for top Irish economist in the Finance magazine survey where he held top spot throughout the 1990s.

Mr Tony Garry, Davy's chief executive, said Mr O'Leary had made a significant contribution to the business over the years. "Jim has developed an enviable reputation as an economic commentator both at home and abroad, and will be greatly missed by all of us."

Mr O'Leary has previously served on the National Statistics Board and as adirector of Aer Lingus. He has also acted as an economic adviser to Fine Gael and was appointed to the benchmarking body by Mr Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy.

Before joining Davy in 1987 he worked in several organisations including the ESRI and the NESC.