merrion street

The Government, at it meeting on Tuesday, made a permanent appointment to the position of Dublin County Sheriff.

The appointment was made under section 12(3)(a) of the Court Officers Act 1945 and the Government is pleased to announce that Mr. Fergus Gallagher is being appointed as Dublin County Sheriff with effect from 17 December 2013. The Dublin County Sheriff undertakes important debt collection functions on behalf of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners as well as enforcing court orders in civil debt and acts as Returning Officer for Dublin County.

An open recruitment process which was advertised in July this year was undertaken by the Public Appointments Service to fill this position.

Mr. Gallagher graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from University College Galway. He qualified as a solicitor in 1995. He holds a Diploma in Commercial Litigation from the Law Society of Ireland. Mr. Gallagher gained significant knowledge of the role of sheriff having served as an apprentice solicitor in the Office of the Dublin County Sheriff prior to qualifying and entering into private practice. Since 1996 he has operated as a Partner in Fitzpatrick and Gallagher Solicitors (Fitzpatrick Gallagher McEvoy Solicitors since 2000), a firm specialising in debt collection and asset recovery.

19 December 2013

ENDS

Note for Editors

The Public Appointments Service is the independent body charged with fair and impartial recruitment, assessment and selection services for the Civil Service, local authorities, Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána and other public bodies.

Under the provisions of section 12(5) of the Court Officers Act 1945, to be appointed as Sheriff a person must either:

· Be a barrister who has practiced for no less than five years; or

· Be a solicitor who has practiced for not less than five years; or

· Have acted for not less than five years as managing clerk or

principal assistant to an under-sheriff or sheriff.

Role of the Dublin County Sheriff

The Dublin County Sheriff is responsible for the enforcement of Court Orders and Revenue Certificates and for acting as Returning Officer under section 30(2) of the Electoral Act 1992.