The new Chief State Solicitor, Mr David O'Hagan, currently the law officer of Cork Corporation, will take up his position on July 24th, four months after the job was advertised.
He will face a daunting task, as he seeks to rebuild morale in an office undermined by years of under-resourcing and by disillusionment with management which was articulated in an internal human relations report, obtained by The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.
This report, which follows an earlier report by consultants Deloitte & Touche in 1996, accuses the existing management of failing to give leadership, responding to crises after they happen, failing to communicate with staff, and failing to develop best human relations practice.
The challenges facing the office include the imminent transfer of its crime section to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the resourcing of the remaining sections, which deal essentially with the civil side of State legal work. According to the Deloitte & Touche report, the office also needs to develop a closer and more harmonious relationship with its client Government Departments.
It is clear from the human relations report, drawn up by a subcommittee under Partnership 2000, that there was dismay when the post of Chief State Solicitor was advertised externally. There were a number of internal applicants for the £90,000-a-year job. Mr O'Hagan was offered the job last April, but his final appointment was delayed while he had discussions with the Attorney General's Office, which has responsibility for the CSSO, seeking clarification of the terms of the appointment.
He told The Irish Times he also needed time to arrange for the transfer of his family to Dublin, and to disengage from his duties in Cork Corporation.
Mr O'Hagan is clearly aware he will face challenges in his new job. "I will be meeting staff shortly. I will have to take stock of the kind of service the office is expected to provide and the resources it will need."