Dermot McCarthy

Dermot McCarthy (born 1954) is the Secretary General to the Government of Ireland and Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach (Office of the Irish Prime Minister).^[1] He occupies two of the three most senior offices in the Irish Civil Service.

Born in Dublin, he attended Synge Street CBS school and Trinity College, Dublin. At Trinity College, he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Literature, both in Economics.

He joined the Irish Civil Service shortly after graduating from Trinity College and served in the Department of Industry and Commerce. From 1977, he worked at the Department of Health where he rose to the level of Assistant Secretary General.

He was appointed secretary to the government in January 2000 and combined that role with secretary to the Department of the Taoiseach in July 2001.

McCarthy is regarded as socially conscious Catholic^{[citation needed]}. He volunteered at St. Andrew's Resource Centre on Pearse Street, Dublin while attending Trinity College. Though afraid of flying, he attended Pope John Paul II's funeral and in inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 (travelling by ferry and by rail).

McCarthy has played an enormous role in the Social Partnership process in Ireland. In 1990 he was appointed director of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). As Assistant Secretary General in the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for the Economic and Social Policy Division from 1993 to 2000 he was a central figure in the Social Partnership agreements of that time. In January 2000 he became Secretary General to the Government, replacing Frank Murray, (attending Cabinet meetings) and, in July 2001, he combined this role with Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach (replacing Dermot Gallagher). He continued his prominent role in Social Partnership negotiations in these new positions.

McCarthy works closely with the Taoiseach Brian Cowen on Partnership and other issues and often accompanies him on official engagements in Ireland. In April 2011 after the 2011 General Election it was announced that McCarthy, informed colleagues that he intended to step down a few months ahead of schedule as part of a major reorganisation of the Civil Service. He also announced the Government had decided to create a new post of second secretary in the Department of the Taoiseach to support the Economic Management Council established by the Coalition. The council is composed of Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin. The second secretary general will also oversee the process of EU co-ordination, a crucial role in the light of the EU-IMF bailout programme.^[2]

He was succeed by Martin Fraser on 1 August.

References

1. ^ "Biography of Secretary General, Dermot McCarthy". taoiseach.gov.ie. http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Department_of_the_Taoiseach/Biography_of_Secretary_General,_Dermot_McCarthy.html. Retrieved 2010-02-10. 
2. ^ State's most senior civil servant to step down

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Name	Maccarthy, Dermot
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Date of birth	1954
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