Cabinet re-shuffle delayed yet again

The eagerly-anticipated government Cabinet re-shuffle, expected to be announced yesterday, but delayed until today (Thursday, July 10), still might not be finalised within the next 24-hours and could run into next week.

Talks between Coalition leaders Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Joan Burton have been slow to progress has held up matters, while both have stressed the importance of choosing the right people for the job.

Indications from Leinster House are that Kenny and Burton have agreed policy objectives for their final 18 months in office, though the division of ministerial positions is still posing some issues.

One constituency hoping to see a deputy elevated to a spot at the cabinet table is Cavan-Monaghan.

The region hasn’t had a sitting Minister since the last Government, when Fianna Fail’s Brendan Smith served as Minister for Justice and Law Reform for three months at the start of 2011. What, then, of our local government deputies?

 

Heather Humphreys

Already there has been media speculation as to the possibility that Deputy Heather Humphreys, whose case is strengthened by the fact Frances Fitzgerald is the only Fine Gael woman in Cabinet and there has been no woman in the junior ministerial ranks since Lucinda Creighton was ‘asked to resign’ over her stance on abortion.

However, her claim is more than based on just gender balance, and Deputy Humphreys has been keeping a close and careful brief on a range of issues, from Transport to the reformation of the Rates System since she was first elected in 2011.

 

Joe O’Reilly

Former Senator Joe O’Reilly TD, also elected in 2011, will also believe he has a right to be among those considered amid the re-shuffle.

A former party spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in the Seanad, Deputy O’Reilly is the current chair of the Irish delegation to the Council of Europe, and in that time would have forged strong linked with fellow delegates in Brussels and Strasbourg.

 

Sean Conlan

The third and final Fine Gael Deputy in the Cavan-Monaghan region is Deputy Sean Conlan, who has been seen to work tirelessly behind the scenes since he, too, was elected in 2011.

With an honours degree in Economics, Deputy Conlan is also known to have played a strong hand in protecting further job losses in his hometown of Ballybay following the horse meat scandal last year.

 

Rise of Sinn Féin

Whatever the claims of the three, something further to consider for the government will be to stem the growing strength of rival parties, in particular Sinn Féin along the border region.

Sinn Féin not only now have one member in Matt Carthy sitting for the region in Europe, but the party claimed a majority in neighbouring county Monaghan following the local elections earlier this year.