The list
Harry McGee
Seven gone, two promoted:
Gone: Noel Ahern (Dublin North
West); Sean Power (Kildare South); Maire Hoctor (Tipperary North);
Mary Wallace (Meath East); Micheál Kitt (Galway East); Jimmy Devins
(Sligo-North Leitrim) and John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny).
In:
Aine Brady (Kildare North) and Dara Calleary (Mayo) have both been
promoted, according to sources.
My predictions are usually gank but I wasn’t too far off the mark this morning. The only major surprise was John McGuinness getting the heave. He went off-message from time to time and could be OTT but he wasn’t the worst junior by a long shot.
Aine Brady will cover the loss of Sean Power in Kildare and also the demotion of her brother Micheál Kitt.
Dara Calleary fills the gap left in the west by the standing-down of the same Micheál Kitt and also of Jimmy Devins in Sligo.
As I was walking in to Leinster House a Government handler said tath’s why Dermot Ahern had introduced the new emergency legislation that allows surveillance for 72 hourse. It will be used to follow all the new enemies of the State that have emerged within FF.
Cowen’s leadership will come under increasing pressure. Fianna Fail will take a hiding this summer. The numbers of the disaffected within the ranks are growing. The difficulty for FFers is that so many of them backed him unequivocally that it makes it harder to go into reverse gear. And is there an obvious candidate emerging as a leader.
Micheál Martin? The future former future Taoiseach?
Dermot Ahern, bringing a bit of the corner boy attitude to the position?
Or Brian Lenihan. Last Summer, the Minister for Finance who knew nothing . This Summer, the Minister for Finance who knows everything.
