The outgoing Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, may ask the Government press secretary, Ms Mandy Johnston, to join his team in the European Commission, several political sources said yesterday.
After Mr McCreevy's nomination last week as incoming Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, the sources said, there was considerable speculation in Government circles that he will ask Ms Johnston to join his six-member Cabinet as press spokeswoman.
While figures in Government circles are known to have questioned Ms Johnston's judgment in bringing an unsuccessful libel claim against the Star newspaper last February, she has remained a close associate of Mr McCreevy since she became Government press secretary in mid-2002.
Mr McCreevy's support would have been crucial when she was promoted to that role from the Department of Finance.
However, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is now seeking to redefine the image of the Government after the Coalition's poor result in the European and local elections in June.
Ms Johnston was spokeswoman for Mr McCreevy during his first term in Finance. It was he who brought her to the Department from the Fianna Fáil press office when the party returned to power in 1997.
The Minister will meet the incoming president of the European Commission, Mr José Manuel Barroso in Brussels on Friday.
The meeting will be the first since Mr Barroso nominated Mr McCreevy for the Internal Market and Services post.
However, Mr McCreevy is not expected to select his cabinet until September.
He will have six positions to fill, including the powerful posts of chef de cabinet and deputy chef de cabinet.
While informed observers believe he will look within the Department of Finance when assembling the team, he will be unable to appoint an Irish nominee to both these roles.
It is open him to appoint three Irish nationals to his cabinet and nationals from three other EU member-states.
Such individuals will be required to have a very broad professional scope. They will be expected to take part in the assessment of decisions under consideration in the each of the 25 divisions in the Commission.
