Economist Seamus Coffey has returned for a second stint as chairman of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac).
Mr Coffey, a lecturer in economics at University College Cork, was previously chairman of the budgetary body between 2017 and 2019.
Minister for Finance Jack Chambers said Mr Coffey had been appointed as the council’s new chair from a shortlist of candidates following an open competition.
His four-year term of office will begin with “immediate effect”, with the possibility of reappointment for up to two further terms.
Mr Coffey replaces Prof Michael McMahon, who has been acting chair since the departure of former chairman Sebastian Barnes last July. As previous Ifac chairman, Mr Coffey was heavily critical of repeated government overspending in health.
In 2016, the Cork-based academic was appointed by the then government to undertake a review of Ireland’s corporation tax code, which concluded the system was fair and sustainable.
He also served on the Commission on Pensions and is a member of the National Economic and Social Council and current president of the Irish Economic Association.
In his role as Ifac chair, Mr Coffey will receive a daily income of €684 for a maximum of 96 days a year.
“I am keenly aware of the important role that the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council plays in our budgetary process,” Mr Chambers said.
“Mr Coffey brings a wealth of experience to the role of chair and I know he will continue to ensure that the council continues to make an important contribution to the public discourse around the many fiscal and economic challenges facing the State,” he said.
Ifac has accused the Government of using “fiscal gimmickry” to make it look like it is being more adherent to the 5 per cent spending rule.
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