The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, paid tribute yesterday to the outgoing chairman of Forfas, Mr Tom Toner, saying he had been an outstanding chairman as at a time when industrial policy was undergoing a period of rapid changes. She expressed her appreciation for the leadership and commitment to public service he had displayed as chairman.

Mr Toner became the inaugural chairman of Forfas in 1994 following the restructuring of the State's development agencies in the wake of the Culliton Report on Industrial Policy, and the Moriarty report on its implementation. In his time, Forfas were responsible for the establishment of the Information Society Commission, the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Expert Group on Future Skills. Mr Toner has held a range of senior positions in CIE, Allied Irish Investment Bank, the Brookes Watson Group and Irish Distillers. He is currently chairman of Arnotts plc, Irish Ferries and Tullow Oil.