Supreme Court judge Frank Clarke is to be appointed chief justice after the Cabinet signed off on his nomination in its last meeting before the summer recess.

A BID to bring fresh blood into senior civil service posts was unveiled by ministers yesterday.

THE Government will break with tradition and will not appoint a top Department of Finance mandarin to fill the post of governor of the Irish Central bank when incumbent John Hurley steps down next September.

TAXPAYERS should be given the right to appeal the size of penalties imposed by the Revenue, the Law Reform Commission believes.

AS a poacher turned gamekeeper, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner Kevin Murphy, who has announced his retirement, has been on both sides of the public service fence. He has in fact partially succeeded in breaking it down during his distinguished career.