Mr. Martin Fraser:

That is a different process from the one the committee has been discussing. I am sure the Deputy wants to know the full story so I will tell him. I was appointed to this position in 2011. It is a seven-year term, following which I either retire - despite the ageing the committee is helping me through, I am too young to retire - I get transferred to another Civil Service role or I get a job in an international organisation.

My seven-year term was up in 2018. I got a three-year extension from the Taoiseach at the time. That was really because we were doing Brexit and it was heavy stuff at the time. I have a lot of background in that. The extension was up in July of this year. I discussed it with the Taoiseach on a number of occasions and we agreed I would do one more year, mainly because of the pandemic. With leave and whatever, I probably would have been leaving in January or February. I do a lot of work on the pandemic and various things. We agreed I would do another year. The Government formally agreed to that early in July but I also felt it was time for me to move on. The options are another job in the Civil Service, retirement or an international organisation. I have had various discussions with the Taoiseach. I discussed it with the Tánaiste, with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, because he is the Minister with responsibility for the public service. I had some discussions with the Secretary General of Foreign Affairs. It is a Civil Service position in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Obviously, I discussed it with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, who offered me the position ultimately. That process has been under way for a good few months. Somebody cannot be moved out of a job like mine without careful planning. There is a lot of personal stuff for me, family and whatever else. It is not nothing.