The Cabinet has agreed a sweeping reshuffle of ambassadorial posts, including the appointment of the first woman to serve as Ireland's Permanent Representative to the EU. Ms Ann Anderson, currently ambassador to the UN in Geneva, is expected to take up her post in Brussels in late summer.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives, known as Coreper, is one of the most powerful bodies in the EU. It prepares meetings of EU ministers and heads of government and effectively negotiates the bulk of decisions made in the Union. Ms Anderson, succeeds Mr Denis O'Leary, who became one of the best known EU ambassadors during his six years in the post. She will play an important role in preparing for Ireland's next presidency of the EU in 2004.
Diplomatic protocol demands that ambassadorial appointments must be approved by the host government before being formally announced and a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment last night.
The changes approved at Cabinet will mean the outgoing Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Patrick McKernan, becomes ambassador to Paris. His second most senior official, Mr Daithi O Ceallaigh, will replace Mr Ted Barrington as ambassador to London.
The Ambassador in Paris, Mr Patrick O'Connor, goes to Lisbon.
Mr Ronan Murphy, who returned recently after a period on secondment to the staff of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, replaces Ms Thelma Doran as ambassador to Vienna. She moves to Warsaw and the present ambassador there, Mr Patrick McCabe, is posted to Stockholm.
Mr Richard Townsend, political director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, moves to The Hague and the ambassadors in Tokyo and Madrid, Mr Declan O'Donovan and Mr Padraig Murphy, swap places.
Mr Frank Cogan, Head of the Economic and EU Division in Dublin will become ambassador to Rome next year. He will be replaced by Mr Robert McDonogh, the ambassador in Kuala Lumpur.
In other moves, Mr Pat Hennessy becomes ambassador in Tel Aviv and Mr Sean Whelan moves to Ankara.
Mark Brennock, Political Correspondent adds: The Government has appointed Ireland's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Mr Michael Collins, as Second Secretary to the Department of the Taoiseach. Mr Collins (47) will have responsibility for Northern Ireland, the European Union and International Affairs.
