TWO key posts in the European Commission - responsibility for relations with former Yugoslavia and Social Fund policy development - have gone to senior Irish officials.
It is bad news for two Commissioners, however, as Mr Padraig Flynn and Sir Leon Brittan will both have to replace highly regarded and experienced deputy chefs de cabinet.
Mr David O'Sullivan (43) and Ms Catherine Day (42), who served together in the Peter Sutherland cabinet before Ms Day joined Sir Leon, had their promotions to A2 grade jobs as heads of units approved by the Commission last week.
They join only six other Irish at this level or above in the Commission, filling the Irish quota, or fourchette, to its limit.
Both have been given deeply sensitive jobs. Ms Day takes over relations with former Yugoslavia and Turkey in the directorate general responsible for external political relations, DG1A.
Mr O'Sullivan is charged with Social Fund policy development in DGV (policy co ordination, information, monitoring and evaluation, co ordination of community initiatives, technical assistance and adaptation to technical change).
Mr O'Sullivan joined the Commission in 1979 after TCD, a year in the College of Europe in Bruges and time in the Department of Foreign Affairs. He went into DG1 (external relations) and served in Japan, followed by the Sutherland cabinet.
He then became head of the Task Force for Human Resources in DG22 and since 1993 has been a member, then deputy chef of the Flynn cabinet where he has steered the social policy agenda.
Ms Day joined the Investment Bank of Ireland after UCD, before working for the Confederation of Irish Industry. She was appointed to the Commission in 1979 and by 1982 was appointed to Mr Dick Burke's cabinet. Since then she has served 14 years in the Burke, Sutherland and Brittan cabinets. At present she has responsibility for the major US relations dossier.
