Public relations consultant Mary Finan was today appointed by the Government as chairwoman of the RTÉ Authority.
Speaking after today's weekly Cabinet meeting, Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey said Ms Finan, chairwoman of Wilson Hartnell Public Relations, will bring a wealth of experience in business and communications to the job.
"She is a very successful business person and is involved in many worthy organisations on a voluntary basis. I would like to wish her well in her new role," he added.
A native of Roscommon, Mary Finan was educated at UCD where she obtained a BA degree. She later completed a Marketing Management Programme in the Harvard Business School.
She is chairman of the Economic and Social Research Institute and a member of the council of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. She was the first woman president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.
Fintan Drury resigned as chairman of the RTÉ Authority last month because of a potential conflict of interest regarding the TV rights to the Ryder Cup.
He is chairman of Platinum One, a sports sponsorship and event management agency that represents Ryder Cup Ltd and the European Tour
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he favours the tournament being designated a free-to-air event as it would be in the public interest.