PORTFOLIOS:SENIOR FIGURES in the Labour Party have accepted the party's deputy leader Joan Burton was disappointed at not having being appointed to the key public expenditure and reform position but defended Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore's decision to appoint Brendan Howlin to the role.
Mr Howlin said last night it was true that Ms Burton had fulfilled the role of finance spokeswoman for nine years but added that there were several Labour TDs who had the requisite competence. “It falls on a party leader to make a discernment on who takes each job and that decision was made,” he said.
Mr Howlin said Ms Burton was one of the most competent people in public life. “There’s no Cabinet position that she would not grace with complete competence. That’s true of a number of people within the party who have Cabinet rank, Minister of State rank and no rank at all other than being a TD,” he said.
On a day when the party was forced to defend the perceived passing-over of Ms Burton and the absence of other women TDs in the senior ministerial ranks, a Labour spokesman yesterday said that there were more people available for the five key senior Government roles than there were positions and it was not the first time it had happened in a coalition government.
Accepting that Ms Burton was disappointed, he dismissed the suggestion that there had been any agitation behind the scenes. He said the only person who had raised questions was Willie Penrose, who sought clarification on his super junior role from Mr Gilmore.
The spokesman said Mr Penrose’s interjection had nothing to do with the half-hour delay in naming the Cabinet on Wednesday. “The trip to the Áras by the Taoiseach took longer than expected and the Taoiseach also took longer [than anticipated] informing the new Ministers,” he said at yesterday’s Government press briefing.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn also outlined the reasons why Mr Gilmore may have chosen Mr Howlin for the key role, which will implement far-reaching goals set out in the programme for government geared to reducing public sector expenditure, cutting public service numbers and introducing wide-ranging reform.
“Brendan Howlin has been a full cabinet minister in two separate governments. The main job in the post he’s been appointed to is getting reform and finding efficiencies and economies, and he is very well equipped to do that,” he said on RTÉ.
Mr Quinn also said Mr Howlin was the most experienced negotiator of a government programme. “He has done four of them. He has a mastery of detail.”
The Minister also said Ms Burton had the biggest spending department in the Government.
“She is responsible for placement and employment services and she is very well equipped in that area.”
Later, when asked if the two senior women Ministers had been given stereotypical roles, Mr Quinn said it was a question that you could not win by answering.