Rockwood Public Affairs, the consultancy founded by former Labour Party senator Lorraine Higgins, has announced that former government press secretary Nick Miller and ex-ambassador Daniel Mulhall have joined the company as consultants.
Mr Miller, who served as press spokesman for Leo Varadkar from 2011 to 2017 before moving into the top government communications role, stood down as government press secretary earlier this year when Simon Harris became taoiseach.
He joins Mr Mulhall, who most recently served as Ireland’s ambassador to the United States from 2017 until his retirement in 2022, at Rockwood, having previously served as ambassador to the UK and also to Germany.
Under lobbying legislation certain designated public officials are subject to a one-year “cooling-off” period to “manage the potential for conflicts of interest between the public and private sectors”.
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Mr Miller was still employed by the Department of the Taoiseach earlier this year while former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was still in office.
It is possible to make an application to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) for consent to waive or reduce their cooling-off period.
A Rockwood Public Affairs statement said: ““Mr Miller ceased employment with the Department of the Taoiseach earlier this year. Sipo has granted formal consent for Mr Miller to take up employment with Rockwood Public Affairs.”
“The addition of Nick Miller and Daniel Mulhall to the Rockwood team will complement our existing advisory services and ensure clients have access to high-calibre teams with unrivalled experience, who will offer cutting-edge insights, analysis, and advice on public affairs and strategic communications,” said Ms Higgins, managing director and founder of Rockwood, in a statement.
“With a new Commission taking office in Brussels, a new administration due in Washington, and a new government in Dublin, the Irish and international policy environment is facing rapid change and disruption.
“With our expanded team, Rockwood is ready to help businesses to navigate through these changes while creating measurable advantage for our clients.”
Ms Higgins, a barrister who then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny appointed to the Seanad in 2011, founded Rockwood in 2020.
The firm opened a second office in Brussels last year and advises a range of clients, from professional services firms and global companies.
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