Flanagan ‘to make way for Josepha’ at Justice
THE accelerating woes of Health Minister Simon Harris mean that Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan could hang on to his job when the Taoiseach engages in his reshuffle.
The veteran Justice Minister has been hotly tipped to be one of the chief political victims of Mr Varadkar’s summer revamp of his Cabinet.
Now there is speculation that he could survive in Cabinet… but be shifted from Justice to Health.
That would allow the Taoiseach to promote Culture Minister Josepha Madigan, herself a lawyer, to Justice.
Insiders had been predicting that Mr Flanagan would be offered ‘a dignified exit to Europe’ after the move. But now party sources are suggesting that Mr Flanagan could instead be shifted into Mr Harris’s job at Health.
The succession of dramas embroiling Mr Harris means there is pressure to have a fresh face at Health.
Mr Flanagan has performed well in Justice and is regarded as a safe pair of hands to take on the most feared job in Irish politics.
One Cabinet figure said: ‘The last couple of weeks have softened a lot of youthful coughs. Charlie was on the window ledge in the last reshuffle but he has reinvented himself in Justice.’
In the wake of the CervicalCheck controversy and the row over the escalating costs of the National Children’s Hospital, Mr Harris is believed to be in trouble, though it is likely that he will survive in Cabinet with a less prominent role.
One minister said: ‘Don’t forget Leo never rated Simon. It is difficult to see Leo allowing us to go to the country with Simon as the face of our health policy.
‘Simon and Charlie survived by the skin of their teeth the last time. It could be down to picking between the two the next time and I would not be backing Simon.’
Mr Flanagan is said to be anxious to finish out his work in Justice. A senior party source warned that Mr Flanagan would not want to take charge of Health, ‘but he won’t be given the option. For Charlie, it will be a case of to hell or to health.’
Other sources speculated that Mr Varadkar migh implement a ‘straight swap’ of roles by moving Mr Harris to Social Protection to take Regina Doherty’s job, then moving her to Health.