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The Government last night accepted the recommendation of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter T.D., to nominate Deputy Chief of Staff Operations Major General Conor O’Boyle for appointment by the President as Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. He will succeed the current Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Sean McCann, who will retire on 12 August 2013.

Minister Shatter said “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Major General Conor O’Boyle on his new appointment and wish him well in taking on the challenges that come with it.  As Minister for Defence I look forward to continuing to work closely with him in his new role as Chief of Staff.”

The Minister added “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Lieutenant-General Sean McCann for his outstanding contribution as Chief of Staff over the last 3 years and for his lifetime dedication to the Defence Forces. On behalf of the Government, I would like to wish him well in his retirement and to thank him for his hard work and commitment over many years of service in the Defence Forces.  He has served the Defence Forces and the country as a whole with distinction both at home and abroad and his leadership and professionalism are widely recognised.”