Cavan woman Patricia Reilly has been appointed to advise European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on all things agriculture.

Reilly was most recently the head of cabinet to Commissioner for Financial Stability Mairead McGuinness.

A former deputy chief veterinary officer at the Department of Agriculture, she was heavily involved in the launch of Ireland’s first stand-alone animal welfare strategy, implementing new EU-level veterinary medicines legislation, and managing animal by-products.

Reilly was also involved in the TB Forum and the Calf Stakeholder Group.