Two Committees of Ireland’s Parliament are to probe the appointment of John Callinan as Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) without an open competition.
Mr Callinan (pictured) is to succeed Martin Fraser as the most senior Public Servant in the country, on an annual salary of up to €215,998 ($A315,000).
Chair of the Oireachtas (Parliament) Finance Committee, John McGuinness said the appointment was “more evidence of the insiders being in control and the unwillingness of the Government to introduce the most basic reforms”.
The Sinn Féin Party in the Oireachtas said it would ask the Public Accounts Committee to also examine the issue.
The appointment was made without open competition.
Instead, Public Servants were invited to express their interest in the position to Mr Fraser along with a short CV and a brief statement on their suitability.
A spokesperson for Taoiseach, Micheál Martin defended the appointment, saying it was the Taoiseach’s “prerogative”.
The spokesperson had no details on how many people had applied for the role or whether applicants were interviewed.
Mr Callinan has, for the past six years, served as the Second Secretary General in the Department of the Taoiseach, heading the International, European and Northern Ireland Divisions.
He played a central role as the Taoiseach’s senior European Union adviser on the United Kingdom’s protracted withdrawal from the EU.
Dublin, 13 April 2022
