The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will make significant changes to his junior ministerial team and their portfolios today, following the approval of his nominations by the Cabinet. The Progressive Democrats, who already have two full Cabinet positions following their Programme for Government deal with Fianna Fáil, will take two Minister of State positions.
Laois-Offaly TD Mr Tom Parlon will head up the Office of the Public Works in the Department of Finance and Limerick TD Mr Tim O'Malley will become one of two Ministers of State for Health.
Outgoing Minister of State for Education and Science, Limerick East TD Mr Willie O'Dea, is expected to survive as a junior minister, despite his fury last week after he was left out of the Cabinet.
The sackings and promotions to Cabinet ordered by Mr Ahern, and general election losses have created 13 vacancies among the 17 second-rank posts allowed under legislation.
Just four of Mr Ahern's junior team remain: Meath TD Ms Mary Wallace; Dublin South TD Mr Tom Kitt; Dublin South East TD Mr Eoin Ryan and Limerick East's Mr O'Dea. If she survives, Ms Wallace is not expected to remain at justice, equality and law reform given the difficulties she encountered over the Disability Bill.
Two others, Wexford's Mr Hugh Byrne and Mayo's Dr Tom Moffatt, lost their seats, while two more, Cork North Central's Mr Dan Wallace and Wicklow's Mr Joe Jacob, are not expecting posts. Four others, Mr Éamon Ó Cuív, Ms Mary Coughlan, Mr Séamus Brennan and Mr Martin Cullen are now full Cabinet ministers, while Ms Mary Hanafin has been appointed Government Chief Whip.
On the night he sacked ministers, Mr Ahern told Mr Frank Fahey that he would offer him a junior post but the same offer was not made to either Ms Síle de Valera or Dr Jim McDaid. The selection of the former arts, culture, heritage and the Gaeltacht minister will scupper the hopes of her highly regarded fellow Clare TD, Mr Tony Killeen.
Equally, the selection of Donegal North East's Dr McDaid, should deny elevation for Donegal South West colleague, Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher. However, promotion for Mr Gallagher would offer potential for Mr Ahern because Mr Gallagher would have to give up his Connacht-Ulster European Parliament seat.
This would see the current Minister of State for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Noel Treacy, heading for Brussels as his substitute, unless his interest in the job has subsided.
The prospects of Cavan-Monaghan TD, Mr Brendan Smith, have been boosted by the election of his constituency colleague, Dr Rory O'Hanlon as Ceann Comhairle. The removal of Dr O'Hanlon from the local political scene means that Fianna Fáil needs to boost Mr Smith's profile to block off options for Sinn Féin.
Dublin West TD Mr Brian Lenihan should finally achieve promotion, according to most parliamentary party colleagues spoken to yesterday. "Everybody keeps going on about Brian. People keep failing to understand that the Taoiseach just doesn't like him. Still, he probably has to get something this time," one Fianna Fáil figure said yesterday.
Dublin North West TD, Mr Noel Ahern, the Taoiseach's brother, is tipped to take over the junior ministerial post in the Department of Social Affairs. "He deserves it on his own merits. Social affairs is the obvious place for him, given that he chaired the Dáil committee dealing with it," one colleague said yesterday.
