The Irish EU Commissioner, David Byrne, has said that he will not seek appointment to a second term in Brussels.
In a briefing with Irish journalists, he said he would be returning home to step back into private life.
His announcement will fuel speculation about his successor. There had been a belief in Brussels for some time that Mr Byrne was keen to stay on as Ireland's Commissioner.
He told journalists he had informed the Taoiseach a couple of months ago that after ten years in public life, he was ready to step down.
