FG criticises ministerial appointments

Fine Gael this evening criticised Taoiseach Brian Cowen for failing to reduce the number of junior ministers in Government.

The number of junior ministerial posts was controversially increased from 17 to 20 after last year’s general election.

But Fine Gael front bench spokesman Leo Varadkar said the new posts have not delivered value for money.

“With the new ministerial pay hikes, the combined salary of junior and senior ministers will now reach €7.24 million a year,” Mr Varadkar said.

“This cannot be justified and, once again, Brian Cowen has demonstrated he is all bluster and no bottle,” he said.

Mr Varadkar claimed Mr Cowen had wasted an opportunity to show political will and real leadership as well as delivering for the taxpayer.

“Instead he chose to continue along the same route his Government has been taking for over a decade and ignore all notions of accountability and delivery to focus on internal Fianna Fáil politics,” he added.