Phil Hogan’s internal team, as he begins his tenure as EU Commissioner for Agriculture, has been finalised with the gaps under his chef de cabinet Peter Power from Limerick being filled.

Joining him and the long appointed ex Department of Agriculture man Dermot Ryan, will be Kevin Keary, a Galway native who has handled a number of dossiers in the European Parliament.

Also joining the team is Tom Tynan who is vastly experienced across both the policy and agribusiness worlds. Shane Sutherland from the outgoing Geoghegan Quinn team will look after legal affairs.

The team is completed with institution staff: Italian, Elisabetta Sircusa who will be deputy chef, Carl-Christian Buhr, a German with comprehensive audit and finance experience and Spaniard, Christina Reuda will cover Agri Trade.

Daniel Rosario from Portugal will be the spokesman attached to the team.