Pat Leahy has been appointed political editor of The Irish Times.

Mr Leahy has been deputy political editor since March of this year and was previously deputy editor and political editor of the Sunday Business Post.

He is the author of two best-selling books, Showtime (2009) and The Price of Power (2013), and has written and presented a number of political documentaries for RTÉ television, including Enda, broadcast last month. A native of Clonmel, Co Tipperary, he holds a degree in law from UCD and is a former Reuters fellow at Oxford University.

Stephen Collins is stepping down as political editor after 11 years in the post. He will continue to contribute to Irish Times political coverage, and will write a weekly column, starting in the new year, which will appear on Thursdays.