Andrews upsets diplomatic corps

Directions about promotions issued by the Minister for Foreign Affairs have led to strained relations at the highest level in the Department.

Three written directions were issued by Mr Andrews to promote his preferred candidates to counsellor and assistant secretary posts since he entered the Department last September, in a break with long-established practice.

The issuing of formal directives about promotions, for the first time in living memory, has caused deep upset in the diplomatic corps, low morale in the Department and strained relations almost to breaking point with the secretary general, Mr Paddy MacKernan. The Minister and Mr MacKernan have not spoken directly to each other for days.

The normal procedure involves the Department's management advisory committee (MAC) making recommendations to the secretary general, which he conveys to the Minister.

Of the eight promotions to the position of counsellor in the past year, six were recommended by the MAC. A further two first secretaries, Mr Conor O'Riordan, former private secretary to the Minister, and Mr Niall Holohan, were promoted as counsellors on the written direction of Mr Andrews. Mr O'Riordan is Consul-General in the new consulate opened in Cardiff. Mr Holohan is counsellor in the political section of the Department.

Of the three promotions to assistant secretary - which is ambassadorial rank - Mr Andrews accepted two of the three recommendations from the MAC. He then issued a written direction that Mr Brian Nason be promoted to assistant secretary. Mr Nason is the new Chief of Protocol in the Department.

The Ministerial power to issue written directions to the secretary general of a Department is expressly contained in Section 7 of the Public Service Management Act, which came into effect last year. This is a carry-over of a power implicitly contained in the preamble of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924.

The manner of the promotions is being considered by the Association of Higher Civil Servants.