The President, Mrs McAleese, has reorganised her private office team after the retirement of her special adviser, Ms Eileen Gleeson.
Ms Gleeson will be replaced by Ms Maura Grant, a former school principal and member of the Higher Education Authority.
The reorganisation comes ahead of the President's inauguration for a second seven-year term, which takes place in Dublin Castle next Thursday.
Áras an Uachtaráin said that Ms Grant had spent the past seven years on secondment to the Department of Education and Science, where she worked with initiatives to support disadvantaged schools. "Through this work, she has been involved in collaborating with many groups serving the needs of disadvantaged communities."
Ms Gleeson leaves the private office after more than seven years with the President. A public relations executive, she has been with Mrs McAleese since she received the Fianna Fáil nomination to contest the 1997 presidential election.
Ms Gleeson described her time in Áras an Uachtaráin as a wonderful experience. She remains a director of various companies, but having recently given birth, she was keen to reduce her workload. "Originally I went into the campaign for one day and ended up spending seven years. It's time to try and downsize my various commitments," she said.
In mid-2000, Ms Gleeson sold her public relations firm, FCC, for more than €3.8 million.
