Communications, Energy and National Resources.

Labour's Tommy Broughan accurately described the reaction to Ryan's appointment. "A lot of attention has rightly been placed on the energy and natural resources element of new Green Minister Eamon Ryan's portfolio.

However, the Communications part of this brief also throws up huge challenges for the new minister, " Broughan predicted. As one of the few TDs to fully understand the possibilities of the communications revolution that is underway, Broughan is entirely correct.

If Ryan gets it right he will be known as the Minister for Broadband. The delivery of universal broadband is as important to the Irish economy today as the supply of electricity at the beginning of the last century. Broadband equates with the future. A new ComReg report indicates that total broadband take-up has now reached 602,000 subscribers but Ireland is still near the bottom of international broadband performance tables. A lot of powerful vested interests may stand in his way but the Dublin South TD will be tested . . . and rewarded . . . if he secures universal broadband access. It's not just about getting emails faster and downloading YouTube video more quickly. Communications is now an economic ministry. And beyond internet usage, Ryan has responsibility for the television and radio sectors. The regulation of the broadcast media is within his remit, as is the future of digital television. A minister with innovation and creativity could achieve a great deal in this department. So, again, watch Eamon Ryan.

'Gizzajob' Armstrong is redmum THE fallout from the general election is ongoing with departures continuing from the various political parties. Already Fianna Fail and the PDs are looking for new press directors with the respective exits of Olivia Buckley and Mary Minihan.

The Green Party may also be looking to fill a vacancy if Gerry Mullins moves into the role of Assistant Government Press Secretary. However the Labour party has been in redundancy mode. Several positions have already been ended including press officer Shauneen Armstrong whose contract expired with the general election. Armstrong was responsible for Labour's internet videos which appeared during the election but it's emerged that she's also the individual behind the popular blog site, red mum. "Gizzajob, " was how Armstrong announced the end of her attachment to Labour on her blog.

She described herself as "one of the other casualities of the election." Check it out at http: //redmum. blogspot. com.

THEmayoral season opens tomorrow evening when several councils around the country fill the one year spots which bring a chain, an allowance and plenty of local media coverage.

The Dublin job also has the attraction of a city centre residence. Independent councillor Vincent Jackson scooped the top job last year when a tied vote with Labour's Paddy Burke necessitated the intervention of two pieces of paper and a hat. Jackson's success only came because a deal between Fine Gael and Labour failed to work out.

Fianna Fail then exploited this failure by backing the independent from Ballyfermot. There may be more of the same tomorrow evening with Jackson indicating that he's available once more in an election which would see the Greens and the PDs oppose their government partner to join forces with Fine Gael in supporting the Labour candidate. The alternative scenario, however, could bring Fianna Fail and Labour together to agree a two-year rotation of the mayor's job. If that happens, it will be a case of the Mullingar Accord is dead, and it has been buried in the Mansion House.

Four stop-gap senators step up TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern moved rapdily this weekend to fill four Seanad vacancies that arose when four of his 2002 nominees won Dail seats. Ahern moved before the Seanad returns to pass the new stamp duty legislation to ensure a full complement of government senators.

The nominees include defeated TD Donie Cassidy, Sean Dorgan, Fianna Fail general secretary since 2003 and Ahern crony Chris Wall.

The fourth is Peter Sands, former president of the Local Government and Public Services Union. Speculation doing the rounds last week was that Ahern would use two of the positions for Tom Parlon of the PDs and Dan Boyle of the Green Party.

Both politicians are expected to be part of the Taoiseach's 11 nominees announced in the autumn but by getting the stop-gap nominations they could have had offices and staff in Leinster House over the summer. But that is not to be.