Kenny to axe seven
FG leader to offer Bruton a role and retain some key dissidents for sake of unity
Shane Coleman and Conor McMorrow
GOING: Michael Creed
GOING: Denis Naughten
GOING: Olivia Mitchell
GOING: Billy Timmins
GOING: Simon Coveney
Question: Olwyn Enright
Question: Charlie Flanagan
Richard Bruton: will be offered a role
ENDA KENNY is expected to fire as many as seven of the frontbench TDs who supported last week's failed coup against the Fine Gael leader when he unveils his new line-up next week.
While some key dissidents will be retained for the sake of party unity and to ensure a strong team, Kenny is anxious to re-energise a front bench that he believes has been "lethargic". He will also send out a signal that he will not tolerate any further undermining of his position.
Brian Hayes, Michael Creed, Denis Naughten, Olivia Mitchell and Billy Timmins are widely expected to lose out. One of the two Laois-Offaly dissenters Olwyn Enright or Charlie Flanagan is also facing the chop, with Flanagan tipped as more likely to survive.
In a surprise development, sources close to the Fine Gael leadership believe that the frontbench future of Simon Coveney, the current communications, energy and natural resources spokesman, also hangs in the balance.
It had been presumed that Coveney's Cork base and his stated willingness to serve under Kenny again would save him. However, there is a view he might be allowed "cool his heels" on the back benches for a period.
Richard Bruton will be offered a role, probably taking over from Hayes as education spokesman, but it remains to be seen if he wants to stay on the front bench.
Leo Varadkar is also likely, but not certain, to be offered a position. He is regarded as too talented to leave on the back benches and is helped by being based in Dublin, where the party is under pressure from Labour. Louth TD Fergus O'Dowd may also survive, having adopted a more conciliatory position last week.
Revitalised former leader Michael Noonan will return to the front bench, replacing Bruton as finance spokesman. While Noonan and Kenny were once bitter rivals, they are believed to have patched up their differences some time ago, even to the point of socialising together.
This new alliance was completely underestimated by the Bruton camp last week.
Others to be elevated include Alan Shatter, who will be made justice spokesman, and Phil Hogan, one of the key figures behind Kenny's campaign last week, who is the clear favourite to replace Bruton as deputy leader.
Paul Kehoe's star has risen after playing a major role in shoring up Kenny's support. The importance of the party whip role means he is likely to be left where he is. But "he will be rewarded when it counts", said one well-placed source, referring to the makeup of the cabinet after the next general election.
James Reilly's status has also been elevated, but he is seen as too important in health to be moved. "No one you would put in the job would be remotely as credible as him," said a senior Kenny ally.
Reilly is a contender for the deputy leadership, offering the advantage of coming from Dublin.
However, he has only been in the Dáil since 2007 and this may count against him.
"Phil is the one who is owed it. He has done a lot of the donkey work over the years," one source said.
Those who may be in line for promotion include Cork South Central TD Deirdre Clune, Cork East TD David Stanton, Roscommon-based Frank Feighan and Joe Carey of Clare.
The Kenny camp is determined to build on the momentum provided by his extraordinary performance in seeing off "arguably the hardest challenge ever thrown down to a party leader".
They believe the front bench has been "lethargic" and has seriously under-performed over the past six months. They say the primary goal of the reshuffle will be to energise the front bench.
June 20, 2010
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The Bruton camp and cronies deserve very little, letting FF off the hook, and being so presumptous that they thought there would be walk over for them,such was their greatness.