THE MINISTER for Arts, Sports and Tourism is expected to resign for health reasons in advance of the pending Cabinet reshuffle.
Martin Cullen has been suffering from a chronic back ailment. The Waterford TD’s departure from the Cabinet will provide Taoiseach Brian Cowen with two vacancies to play around with as he attempts to give his Government a fresh look.
Limited personnel changes will be accompanied with a significant restructuring of departmental responsibilities, according to Cabinet sources.
Some senior Ministers may be moved around in the reshuffle, but the indications are that Mr Cowen will not undertake any significant purge of Cabinet personnel.
The favourites for promotion to the Cabinet are chief whip Pat Carey and Minister of State for Agriculture Tony Killeen.
Conor Lenihan, currently Minister of State for Science and Technology, could be in line for promotion as chief whip if Mr Carey moves up the ladder.
John Curran, Minister of State responsible for the National Drugs Strategy, is another contender for the position.
The creation of a new super junior ministerial post at the Department of Finance with responsibility for reform of the public service may go to Dick Roche, who has been working on the issue, or to Dara Calleary, the young Minister of State for Labour Affairs.
The new Minister of State with responsibility for food to replace Trevor Sargent is expected to go to the Green Party Carlow-Kilkenny TD and deputy party leader Mary White.
It is understood that the Taoiseach has still not finalised plans on how a number of major Government departments will be reshaped.
Most speculation has centred on changes at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with significant elements being hived off into a new department with responsibility for jobs and training.
Mr Cowen has discussed the departmental reorganisation issue with Green Party leader John Gormley. The pair will meet again on the issue before final decisions are made.
The Green Party is anxious that responsibility for equality is taken out of the Department of Justice and allocated to a new department which will have responsibility for aspects of welfare and training.
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív said last night that there had been constant change during his time in Cabinet.
“Well, the reality is that about half the Cabinet are there since 2002, the other half are fresh in. There’s been constant change in my time in Cabinet. I’d expect that to continue.
“It’s the Taoiseach’s decision who he thinks should be a player on the team and what position they should play.”
Asked on RTÉ's The Week in Politicswhether he would be surprised if the Taoiseach asked him to make way for somebody else, Mr Ó Cuív responded: "I've no thoughts on the matter. I will just wait until I get called one way or the other, and that's always been my attitude towards appointments to Cabinet."
Pressed on whether he thought he might be looking at the exit door, Mr Ó Cuív said: “Not particularly. I’ve done the job I was given in community, rural and Gaeltacht affairs to the best of my ability.
“I will leave it to others to judge whether I have run the department I was given. The Taoiseach knows how I have performed as a Government Minister, and in the wider context he will run the rule over all of us, I have no doubt about that.”
FAVOURITES FOR PROMOTION? PAT CAREY, TONY KILLEEN AND MARY WHITE
Pat Carey:could be moving from position as Government chiefwhip
Tony Killeen:currently Minister of State for Agriculture
Mary White:Green TD tipped for Minister of State with responsibility for food