Dermot McCarthy is the Secretary General to the Government of Ireland and Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach

Department of the Taoiseach

The Department of the Taoiseach is the government department of the Taoiseach of Ireland. It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Government of Ireland, on Merrion Street in Dublin....

 (Office of the Irish Prime Minister). He occupies two of the three most senior offices in the Irish Civil Service

Civil service of the Republic of Ireland

The Civil Service of Ireland is the collective term for the permanent staff of the Departments of State and certain State Agencies who advise and work for the Government of Ireland. It consists of two broad components, the Civil Service of the Government and the Civil Service of the State...

.

Born in Dublin, he attended Synge Street CBS

Synge Street CBS

Synge Street CBS is a Christian Brothers School in Dublin 8, Ireland. It was founded in 1864.-Primary school:The primary section caters for boys from seven to twelve years. It is called Sancta Maria CBS. It opened in 1954.-Secondary school:...

 school and Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...

. At Trinity College, he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Literature, both in Economics.

He joined the Irish Civil Service shortly after graduating from Trinity College and served in the Department of Industry and Commerce

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)

The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...

. From 1977, he worked at the Department of Health

Department of Health and Children (Ireland)

The Department of Health is a department of the Government of Ireland. The Department's mission is to "support, protect and empower individuals, families and their communities to achieve their full health potential by putting health at the centre of public policy and by leading the development of...

 where he rose to the level of Assistant Secretary General.

He was appointed secretary to the government in January 2000 and combined that role with secretary to the Department of the Taoiseach in July 2001.

McCarthy is regarded as socially conscious Catholic. He volunteered at St. Andrew's Resource Centre on Pearse Street

Pearse Street, Dublin

Pearse Street is one of the longest streets in Dublin and varies in use along its length. Its western end meets College Street near Townsend Street. Trinity College, Dublin forms its southern side here, with a Garda station to the north. As one proceeds east, Tara Street joins it along with a fire...

, Dublin while attending Trinity College. Though afraid of flying, he attended Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II

Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

's funeral and in inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 in 2005 (travelling by ferry and by rail).

McCarthy has played an enormous role in the Social Partnership

Social Partnership

Social partnership is the term used for the tripartite, triennial national pay agreements reached in Ireland.The process was initiated in 1987, following a period of high inflation and weak economic growth which led to increased emigration and unsustainable government borrowing and national debt...

 process in Ireland. In 1990 he was appointed director of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). As Assistant Secretary General in the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for the Economic and Social Policy Division from 1993 to 2000 he was a central figure in the Social Partnership agreements of that time. In January 2000 he became Secretary General to the Government, replacing Frank Murray, (attending Cabinet meetings) and, in July 2001, he combined this role with Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach (replacing Dermot Gallagher

Dermot Gallagher (civil servant)

Dermot Anthony Gallagher is an Irish civil servant and the former Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He left office as Secretary-General on 24 January 2009 and was replaced by David Cooney, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom...

). He continued his prominent role in Social Partnership negotiations in these new positions.

McCarthy works closely with the Taoiseach

Taoiseach

The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...

 Brian Cowen

Brian Cowen

Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

 on Partnership and other issues and often accompanies him on official engagements in Ireland. In April 2011 after the 2011 General Election it was announced that McCarthy, informed colleagues that he intended to step down a few months ahead of schedule as part of a major reorganisation of the Civil Service. He also announced the Government had decided to create a new post of second secretary in the Department of the Taoiseach to support the Economic Management Council established by the Coalition. The council is composed of Taoiseach Enda Kenny

Enda Kenny

Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...

, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore

Eamon Gilmore

Eamon Gilmore is an Irish Labour Party politician and the current Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has been the Leader of the Labour Party since September 2007, and a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency since 1989, first with the Workers' Party of Ireland, and...

, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan

Michael Noonan

Michael Noonan is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been the Minister for Finance since March 2011. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Limerick East and later Limerick City constituencies since 1981....

 and Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin

Brendan Howlin

Brendan Howlin is an Irish Labour Party politician who has served as a Teachta Dála for Wexford since 1987. Currently the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, he previously served as Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Health.-Early life:Born into a highly...

. The second secretary general will also oversee the process of EU co-ordination, a crucial role in the light of the EU-IMF bailout programme.

He was succeed by Martin Fraser

Martin Fraser

Martin Fraser is the current Secretary General to the Irish Government and Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach since 1 August 2011. He had previously served as the department’s assistant secretary since 2007...

on 1 August.