Katherine Licken has been appointed as secretary general of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Ms Licken is currently assistant secretary in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, where she has responsibility for telecommunications market interventions, including the national broadband plan, EU and national telecommunications and internet policy, cyber security, the national digital strategy and the emergency call answering service.

A graduate of DCU, Ms Licken also spent seven years in the energy area, working in renewable heat and transport fuels, as well as having corporate governance responsibility for a number of State energy companies and security of supply.

Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys announced the appointment on Wednesday, saying "Katherine has excellent experience across a wide range of policy areas and has the requisite skills to drive implementation of key agenda items right across the department. I would also like to pay tribute to our outgoing secretary general, Joe Hamill. Joe has been an invaluable source of support and advice to me since I became Minister, and I would like to wish him the very best in his retirement."