Likely winners and losers as Varadkar prepares to mould a Cabinet in his image
THE NEW FINE GAEL CABINET
TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR
Best man for the job, according to the new Fine Gael leader.
FINANCE AND EXPENDITURE PASCHAL DONOHOE
If Leo is Tony Blair, Pascal is a far more pleasant Gordon Brown. Relations between Paschal and Leo run deep, right back to the failed coup of 2010. A taoiseach needs to trust and value his finance minister.
PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM EOGHAN MURPHY
Eoghan Murphy is the Mara to Leo’s Haughey. Expect something serious in business or publicsector reform for Leo’s southside cappuccino brother.
ENTERPRISE HEATHER HUMPHREYS
Heather and her little Dáil breakfast club, which includes luminaries such as Paul Kehoe and Patrick O’Donovan, have played a key role in securing Varadkar’s victory. Heather’s reward is a ministry better suited to her talents. Will she also be made tánaiste?
EDUCATION RICHARD BRUTON
It looked like he was going to be a third candidate. But his early and momentum-gaining intervention for Leo was crucial in defining the narrative. He is a steady, safe pair of hands. And his work in Education is unfinished.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHARLIE FLANAGAN
Charlie to survive by the hairs of his chinny chin chin. Apart from his location in the midlands, as the American’s found out in Iraq, sacking all of the embedded members of a previous regime can create more problems than it solves.
SOCIAL PROTECTION MICHAEL RING
The West needs a new messiah now that Enda (Who?) is gone. If Leo cannot create a Rural Affairs brief, do not be surprised if Leo rubs salt into Enda’s wounds by appointing the under-rated Ring. After all, one should always mix business with pleasure
JUSTICE JOHN DEASY
If ever a ministry needed a fearless enforcer, Justice does. The appointment of the semiexiled Deasy would certainly be radical, but it would also send huge alarm through Garda HQ. Don’t rule it out.
AGRICULTURE MICHAEL D’ARCY
Apart from his trojan behind-thescenes work for which he could be rewarded, the low-profile backbencher is a farmer, can drive a tractor and knows about cows, sheep and such like. He’d also likely be a popular choice among the hard-to-please sector. The only problem is the jump from backbench to cabinet can cause nose bleeds.
HEALTH SIMON HARRIS
Harris backed the wrong horse. And is slated everywhere for the chop. That may come to pass, but the smooth Dr Varadkar will know all too well that the best revenge may be to leave him exactly where he is.
ARTS HELEN McENTEE
Her main potential rival would be the current chief whip Regina Doherty. Could it be a cabinet with two strong women from Meath? It would be very unusual. And McEntee was compering yesterday’s Varadkar rally, so if one of them is to lose out, our money is on being Doherty.
GOVERNMENT WHIP JOHN PAUL PHELAN
A long-term loyalist, John Paul has done the hard yards behind the scenes. He is the perfect workhorse for the tough role of chief whip, bringing back an appropriate measure of low profile to the role, compared to the last two incumbents in that office.
DEFENCE AND SUPER-JUNIOR PAUL KEHOE
Defence may not be constituted as a full ministry but we suspect the mysterious ongoing presence of Paul Kehoe in the Cabinet will continue. A case for The X-Files if ever there was one.
THE JUNIOR CERTS
Junior ministries may be important to no-one outside of TDs. However, rather like the old Junior Certificate, they are a critical rite of passage towards the top job.
In the case of King Leo I, he will use some to ease the pain of dismissal. For others, they represent a key signal that you are finally in the game.
When it comes to the hungry ones, some vacancies will be created by the demotions of Dara
‘the boy-blunder’ Murphy, Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy and Catherine Byrne.
Those who will get the best slices of the cake will include Josepha Madigan and Jim Daly.
Leo will have to deal with those who could claim they have a legitimate expectations, such as Alan Farrell; close Brian Hayes ally Colm Brophy; Peter Burke the posh new Longford Westmeath TD; Pat Deering; Leo’s old cappuccino foot-soldier Brendan Griffin; Noel Rock and Martin Heydon. Good luck in sorting all that out, Leo.