Ever since Julie Sinnamon announced she would be retiring as CEO of Enterprise Ireland at the end of 2020, speculation has abounded about who might land one of the most attractive jobs across all Government agencies. With a starting salary of €190,000, who wouldn’t be interested?

Bord Bia’s Tara McCarthy was rumoured to be considering throwing her hat in the ring, but The Dealer understands she has not put herself forward.

Internal candidates in Enterprise Ireland such as Kevin Sherry, Stephen Creaner and Paul McKeown are all likely to apply.

The Dealer is told that Declan Hughes, assistant secretary general in the Department of Business and Enterprise and a current board member of Enterprise Ireland, is also interested in the post.

Other outside candidates that have been linked with the role include John Moran, former secretary general of the Department of Finance, and Mary Buckley, executive director at the IDA.