NOT WEST PLEASED
Leaders fail to fill rural deficit in the carve-up of junior minister jobs
MICHEAL Martin, Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan have failed to fill the rural gap in the carve-up of the juicy junior ministers’ roles.
Instead, they gave the vast majority of the positions – 11 out of 17 – to TDS from the Pale, Dublin or Leinster.
That means there is only one-fifth – 7 of 35 – of Government ministers, junior or senior, representing people west of the Shannon.
The new Cabinet signed off on the agreed divvy-up of junior minister jobs just after 9pm last night following a Cabinet teleconference.
Only three TDS from Munster were promoted, two from Connacht and one from Ulster.
Two “Super Juniors” from Connacht, Mayo’s Dara Calleary and Galway’s Hildegarde Naughton, were announced last weekend.
The three leaders were under pressure to rebalance the ministerial line-up after the major gaffe last week that saw no senior minister picked from west of the Shannon.
At the weekend, Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice branded the snub “absolutely scandalous”.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fail had seven picks each, while the Greens got three of their TDS into departments with ministerial jobs.
But new Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin has failed to calm the horses in his own party after popular TD Jim O’callaghan spectacularly turned down a job.
Mr O’callaghan was offered a post as junior minister in the Department of Justice, under Fine Gael senior minister Helen Mcentee.
But he turned it down, saying he thinks he could do better work for the party on the back benches.
Mr O’callaghan added: “I want to devote more time to strengthening our great party by making it a more attractive option for young voters.
“I also believe Fianna Fail needs strong voices outside Government who can ensure that our party’s identity can be protected.”
There may be some anger within the ranks of the Greens too as their high- profile TD who was against going into government, Neasa Hourigan, was left on the back benches.
It was rumoured that giving her a job would ease tensions within the party but the Green jobs have gone to party veteran Malcolm Noonan, Joe O’brien and Ossian Smith instead. Once again,
Monday’s Irish Mirror on gaffe there were many disappointed on the Fine Gael side in Leinster House yesterday, with sitting juniors Brendan Griffin and John Paul Phelan dumped.
And it was an even bigger fall for Eoghan Murphy and Joe Mchugh, who go from the front bench to the back benches – although it is understood both had accepted the demotions before yesterday’s announcements.
Mr Murphy will be taking a key role within the party, while Mr Mchugh will be handed a plum committee chairmanship role, probably EU affairs. One disappointed junior minister who lost his job last night, Fine Gael’s Brendan Griffin, wished his replacement the best of luck.
He said: “It has been an honour to serve as Minister of State for Tourism & Sport. I always did my best for everyone and enjoyed working with so many great people.
“I wish my successor the very best in the difficult times ahead for both sectors & for our country as a whole.”
Niall Collins (Limerick)
Charlie Mcconalogue (Donegal) Mary Butler (Waterford)
Anne Rabbitte ( Galway East) Robert Troy (Longford Westmeath) Thomas Byrne (Meath East)
Jack Chambers (Dublin West)
Colm Brophy (Dublin SW)
Peter Burke (Longford-w’meath) Damien English (Meath W)
Frank Feighan (Sligo-leitrim) Martin Heydon (Kildare S) Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown)
Patrick O’donovan (Limerick County)
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow Kilkenny) Joe O’brien (Dublin Fingal)
Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire)
FURY