McCreevy’s new Brussels cabinet includes five Irish

THE son of a former Irish EU commissioner and the markets editor of the Sunday Business Post are among the members of Charlie McCreevy’s new Brussels cabinet.

The former finance minister is due to take up his portfolio in charge of Internal Market and Services on November 1.

The eight members include five Irish people and one French, Dutch and British national.

Shane Sutherland, son of former Attorney General and Competition Policy Commissioner Peter Sutherland, works with the international law firm of Linklaters in Brussels. He qualified as a solicitor in London and has experience on competition issues.

Michael Murray worked in the banking sector in Dublin and London and was a director of an Irish international finance institution until 2000.

He changed career to work in financial training and journalism and is Market Editor of the Sunday Business Post.

Another Irish member of his team is Helen Blake who has worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin for more than 10 years. She has wide experience of EU affairs and, most recently, was one of the Irish team involved in drawing up the European Constitution.

Mr McCreevy announced some weeks ago his head of cabinet would be Martin Power, who also headed up the cabinet of the outgoing commissioner David Byrne.

The deputy head is lawyer Claire Bury who filled the same position in the cabinet of the outgoing Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein.

They will be joined by Martin Merlin who worked in the French Treasury before coming to Brussels.

Dutch national Peter Kerstens has worked with Mr Byrne’s cabinet. Mr McCreevy’s spokesperson is lawyer Oliver Drewes.