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04th Sep 2020

Mairead McGuinness and Andrew McDowell to be nominees for Irish Commissioner

Alan Loughnane

Mairead McGuinness

Their names are set to be submitted to the European Commission on Friday.

The government are set to put forward European Parliament vice-president and MEP Mairead McGuinness and former European Investment Bank vice-president Andrew McDowell for the position of Ireland’s next European Commissioner.

The vacancy in the position arose from the resignation of Phil Hogan following the controversy surrounding his attendance at an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the government should put forward a woman and a man for the position.

It had been rumoured that Simon Coveney would be one of the nominations but it now seems McDowell, a former Fine Gael advisor and European Investment Bank director, will get the nod instead.

McGuinness, an elected MEP, represents the North West constituency of Ireland in the European Parliament and has been a Vice-President of the Parliament since 2014.

It’s expected their names will be submitted to the European Commission on Friday.

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