Irish ambassador resigned over job limits

Billionaire Richard Egan has resigned as US ambassador to Ireland because of his frustration over the limits of his job, The Boston Globe reported today.

"He submitted his resignation and considers it an honour to serve as the US ambassador to Ireland," a spokeswoman at the American embassy in Dublin told the Globe.

Egan, 67, was today believed to be at his family home in the US with his wife, Maureen, and members of his family.

Roger Marino, who co-founded the EMC Corporation, a data-storage company, with Egan in 1979, said the ambassador told him yesterday he felt frustrated at the many administrative duties he faced, while being left out of important discussions about peace and jobs in the region.

“He felt he was doing a lot of things that weren’t as productive as they could’ve been, and felt a little frustrated,” Marino told the Globe.

“His capabilities to do good are endless, and yet he was in a non-productive role.”

A US State Department official said Egan’s resignation was not requested by President George Bush, but that it would be accepted. The date of departure was still undetermined.

The official said Egan’s decision was “self-initiated and for personal reasons.”

He was sworn in as ambassador in August 2001.