For years in civil service circles there have been knowing smiles when Dermot McCarthy has had to leave this island for business or pleasure. The Dubliner has a fear of flying and the Denis Bergkamp of Government Buildings won't even set foot on a plane.
So a trip to, say, Brussels would mean a two-day trek over land and sea, resulting in the inevitable in-house quip; "Dermot's on the road again."
Those who thought this phobia would keep McCarthy from reaching maximum altitude in his career were proved spectacularly wrong during the week when the Government announced he would take over from Frank Murray as Secretary General to the Government.
Responsibilities include liaising with all Government Ministers and Departments in relation to Government memos and sitting in at Cabinet meetings. The post is one of two or three highest-ranking jobs - the others being the Secretary General at the Department of Finance and Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach, held by Paddy Teahon - that constitute the ultimate goals of any ladder-scrambling civil servant.
In this and in many other ways McCarthy, who takes up his new job early next year, bucks the stereotypical image of the Leinster House mandarin. Credited, alongside Teahon, as being crucial in the development of successive social partnership agreements, he is held in unusually high regard by those who would traditionally be suspicious of civil servants.
Father Sean Healy of the Conference of the Religious in Ireland has observed him since his early days, through the Departments of Health and Industry and Commerce and later as director of the National Economic and Social Council, where he helped to orchestrate the blueprint for social partnership.
In 1993 he was made assistant secretary in the economic and social policy division of the Department of the Taoiseach. "He is a man of supreme integrity," said Father Healy.
Another member of the social partnership, who preferred to remain anonymous, said McCarthy was one of two civil servants he would trust. "Unlike some of his colleagues in the civil service, he has never tried to be smart, never pulled a fast one and never played one group off against the other. He is a man who listens carefully to all sides."
ICTU general secretary Peter Cassells said McCarthy had a "very strong commitment to social justice" and credited him with being responsible for bringing community and voluntary groups into the partnership process over the past two agreements. He had a "sharp analytical mind", which he is said to have used to good effect in helping resolve the nurses' dispute. As it happens, his wife, Rosemary, is a social worker attached to the Coombe hospital. The couple have one son.
Those who work with him describe him as "extremely polite, approachable and self-effacing". He gets invited to the weddings of administrative staff and more often than not shows up. Another observer said that while his tall, rotund figure gives the impression of an overgrown schoolboy, he possesses an intellect that is razor sharp.
He is said to have been one of a group of pupils at Synge Street Christian Brothers School in Dublin who were held in awe by their peers for their academic prowess. The young McCarthy excelled at English and maths and was a champion debater. He went on to study economics at Trinity College Dublin and completed a Masters in the subject.
In his student days he was interested in community development projects and his involvement with the St Andrew's Resource Centre on Pearse Street continued throughout his civil service career.
He is currently vice-chair of both the NESC and the National Economic and Social Forum and serves on a number of State boards, including the National Statistics Board and the National Competitiveness Council.
A strong advocate of the widespread use of new technology, he facilitated on the Fast Track to Information Technology group, which aims to train and place 3,500 long-term unemployed in Dublin in the IT industry. McCarthy is an intensely private person who is extremely well read and knowledgeable on fine art. One associate said he was an entertaining and witty speaker, often peppering his remarks with references to Joyce and the classics. Admirers use words like "dedicated", "accomplished" and "impressive" in relation to him.
He is a softly-spoken man who rarely gets angry, said one observer. Once, when he did, it took 30 seconds before the partnership member who suggested McCarthy wasn't playing straight wished he had never opened his mouth. At one stage, meetings until 2 or 3 a.m. became a regular feature of Partnership 2000 talks, but McCarthy is said to have always wanted to "go that extra mile" for consensus.
This may be his only weakness. "It could be said that he takes too long to get agreement sometimes. When 80 per cent are in favour of something he will always go back to the 20 per cent to see if he can get them on board too," said one reluctant critic.
The timing of the announcement of his appointment is interesting, given that McCarthy is understood to have been shortlisted for the post of Secretary of the Department of Arts, Culture, Heritage and the Islands.
The fact that the current incumbent, Frank Murray, will remain on as a Civil Service Commissioner means there will be scope for McCarthy to retain some of his current responsibilities, including those relating to the pay talks.
And while the Secretary General traditionally accompanies the President on official State visits abroad, there will always be someone else to take his place on the plane.
Speculation that he is not about to depart the negotiating table when he takes up his new position will please those involved in the ongoing partnership talks. As one said, "We wish him well but would be very sorry to see him go".