Ireland's two top Brussels Eurocrats, Tom O'Dwyer, director general in Education, and Tom Garvey, deputy director general in Environment, are retiring this year and the race is on to replace them. Two of our high-fliers, both at director level, are already being mentioned. They are Catherine Day, who served in both Peter Sutherland's and Leon Britten's cabinets, and David O'Sullivan, who was deputy chef in Pee Flynn's cabinet.
Many names will be in the ring for both jobs with salaries of £140,000. Others mentioned include Paddy Hennessy, who was close to Ray MacSharry and associated with CAP reform, and former FF general secretary Frank Wall.
The 20 commissioners, under president Jacques Santer, decide who is appointed at this level, but because they are Irish positions our commissioner will have a big say and a government could put forward its own, non-commission, candidates. Meanwhile Raymond Keane, who handled press relations at the EU office in Dublin for 10 years, is transferring to the EU Food and Veterinary office which has been moving to Grange, Co Meath, for the past number of years but, strangely, is still located in temporary premises in Blackrock, Co Dublin. Ireland was awarded the office in the divvy-up of Euro agencies but the problem arose four years ago when the then government decided to locate it in the constituency of the Taoiseach, John Bruton. Firstly the multinational staff didn't want to leave Brussels for Ireland at all and then they didn't want to go to the countryside. Since then, the agency has expanded: BSE was taken out of agriculture and given to the consumer office, meaning possibly 200 staff, and FG's former government press secretary Peter Prendergast has taken over as director.
Despite a visit by EU president Santer a year ago, the site in Grange is still empty and there is speculation that it will remain so. Indeed, some ask, is the agency now destined for Drumcondra? Raymond Keane is being replaced in Dawson Street by Philip Ryan, who is leaving Padraig Flynn's cabinet.