BEHIND THE SCENES:A TEAM of about 12 senior Government officials are travelling to Brussels to advise Taoiseach Enda Kenny during this week's crucial European summit that may decide the fate of the euro.
The team, drawn from his own department and from finance and foreign affairs, comprises permanent civil servants and a number of political appointments.
The key Government official is Geraldine Byrne Nason, a second secretary who is in charge of the new unified EU division within the Taoiseach’s department. The division was established by the Coalition earlier this year. Previously, responsibility for EU matters was shared between the Department of An Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs. But the new division, which is made up of about 30 staff, involved the EU affairs division in foreign affairs being discontinued, with its personnel being transferred to the Taoiseach’s department.
The move caused disquiet within foreign affairs. Ms Byrne Nason’s responsibilities also straddle the economic areas. She is responsible for managing the Government’s Economic Management Council, comprising the Taoiseach, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin.
Ms Byrne Nason travelled to Brussels earlier this week to prepare for the 16th summit to be held since the euro zone crisis erupted.
Before assuming her new role in July, Ms Byrne Nason was deputy to Ireland’s permanent representative to the European Union, Rory Montgomery.
The Brussels-based Mr Montgomery will be the most senior diplomat involved in the negotiations.
The other key official in the EU division of the Taoiseach’s department is Helen Blake, a counsellor seconded from foreign affairs.
Ms Blake deals mostly with matters pertaining to EU institutions and treaty change. Like Ms Byrne Nason, she is a highly experienced official and was a member of former EU commissioner Charlie McCreevy’s cabinet.
The lead official from the Department of Finance is Jim O’Brien, who is second secretary in charge of the budget and economic division. Mr O’Brien, a very experienced official, also travelled to Brussels in advance of the summit.
Two diplomats from foreign affairs were seconded to finance during the summer and have been working closely with Mr O’Brien. Both have financial acumen and have experience of working in Germany and France. They are Nicholas O’Brien, who was formerly a counsellor in the Irish Embassy in Berlin, and Gerald Angley, who was first secretary in the Embassy in Paris with a specific brief on trade.
The other key official in finance is John Moran, a former senior official with the Central Bank who has now assumed responsibility for bank restructuring. Mr Moran, who was head of wholesale banking supervision in the Central Bank, has become one of Mr Noonan’s key advisers since being seconded in the spring.
Mr Kenny will also be relying on advice from his two closest politically appointed advisers, Mark Kennelly and Andrew McDowell.
Mr Kennelly, a long-time Fine Gael official, has responsibility for EU matters and was his party’s main delegate to the European People’s Party when in opposition.
Mr McDowell is an economist but is also considered by colleagues to be a strong political analyst.
Government press secretary Fearghal Purcell will be the link for the Taoiseach and the Government with the Irish and international media during the summit.
