The Government has appointed Mr Brian McCarthy as secretary to the President, Mrs McAleese. Mr McCarthy (54) has been assistant secretary to the Government in the Department of the Taoiseach since 1993. He will be succeeded in that post by Mr Peter Ryan, who has been secretary to the President since 1991.
Mr McCarthy joined the Civil Service in 1961. In 1977, he became private secretary to the then Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch. He was principal officer in the Department of the Taoiseach (Northern Ireland and International Affairs Division) from 1983 to 1993.
Mr Ryan (49) joined the Civil Service in 1966 and worked in the Departments of Industry and Commerce, and Finance, as well as the Department of the Taoiseach. He worked in the government secretariat and the protocol and general division and was private secretary to the government chief whip.