Tánaiste appoints New Chairman and Members to Board of the Labour Relations Commission

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Harney today announced the new Board of the Labour Relations Commission. The term of office of the previous Board expired on the 28^th March 2003.

The Tánaiste announced that the new Chairman of the Commission's Board will be Mr. Maurice Cashell who will replace Ms. Caitriona Murphy.

The Tánaiste also announced the appointment of a new independent member Ms. Breege O'Donoghue and the re-appointment of employers' members Mr Liam Downey and Mr Brendan McGinty, workers' members Mr Peter McLoone and Mr Tom Wall and independent member Ms. Josephine Feehily.

Making the announcement the Tánaiste expressed her appreciation of the work and commitment of Ms Murphy and the other Board members over the last three years. The Tánaiste said "I want to thank and compliment Ms. Murphy and the other members of the Board for their work in promoting good industrial relations in the workplace and for their contribution in developing the industrial relations services of the Commission".

"I have no doubt that the on-going challenge of promoting a good industrial relations environment will benefit greatly from the wide expertise and knowledge of Maurice Cashell and the other members of the Board. I am confident they will bring a new impetus to the important work of the Labour Relations Commission," the Tánaiste added.

Note for Editors

Mr Maurice Cashell is a former civil servant, having served in several Government Departments including the Office of Public Works, An Taoiseach, Labour and Enterprise, Trade and Employment. He also spent periods abroad, in Geneva, where he worked with the International Labour Office, a specialised agency of the United Nations, and in Brussels where he represented Ireland in the drafting of many EU Directives in the employment and social field.

Mr Cashell has worked for most of his career on issues relating to labour law and industrial relations and was involved in the negotiations on several national understandings.

Ms Breege O'Donoghue is an Executive Director of Penneys/Primark retail stores in Ireland/UK (a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc), responsible for human resources, advertising and security. She is a member of the Board of Governors of National University of Ireland, Maynooth, a member of the Human Resource Strategy Group UCD, and a member of the Promotion Advisory Council of the Garda Siochana.

Formerly a Director of An Post, Ms O'Donoghue is a former Director of Aer Rianta and a former Chairman of Shannon College of Hotel Management.