THE DEPARTMENT OF Finance today announced the appointment of John McCarthy as Chief Economist.

McCarthy will be responsible for providing economic policy advice to the minister and the government.

This is a newly created position and department said today the economist was appointed following an open, competitive process.

McCarthy has nearly twenty years’ experience working as an economist, having held a position of senior economist in the department prior to this post. At a European level he was the deputy member of the European Council’s Economic and Financial Committee for a number of years addressing key economic issues facing the Union. He also previously worked as an economist in the Central Bank.

The department also announced the appointment of Des Carville, formerly of Davy Corporate Finance, as head of its Shareholder Management Unit. He will be responsible for the completion of the restructuring of the banking system and managing the State’s shareholding in the banks and disposals thereof.

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