The General Secretary of the Labour party, Mike Allen, has announced he is to stand down from his position in the autumn.
Mr. Allen made his announcement to a meeting of the party's National Executive Committee in Dublin this weekend.
He has been General Secretary of the Labour Party since March 2000.
Speaking after his announcement Mr. Allen said: "My eight years as General Secretary, serving under three party leaders - Deputy Ruairi Quinn, Deputy Pat Rabbitte and Deputy Eamon Gilmore - have been a period of huge internal change and modernisation for Labour."
"Ireland needs a strong and effective Labour Party more than ever, and I believe I leave the party better able to contest elections in a determined and professional manner."
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said Mr Allen had been General Secretary for eight "very demanding years."
"I want to thank him for his eight years of work for the Labour Party a period which has seen a significant growth in party membership, the biggest number of Labour councillors ever reached, and a significant re-organisation of Party structures," he said.