A Fianna Fáil TD has complained of "bizarre" decisions in the choice of Government Ministers and claimed the disappointment of many backbenchers increased because the Taoiseach created expectations of "radical change".
Mr Conor Lenihan TD said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, had balanced his warnings that a lot of backbenchers would be disappointed with "a tantalising promise of a clean sweep". This had not come to pass, however.
Writing in the Evening Herald, Mr Lenihan added that many in Fianna Fáil believe the Taoiseach missed an opportunity to rejuvenate the ministerial team "and take away its grey look".
Instead, Mr Ahern underlined his "fabled reputation for being cautious" in two ways. The first was that, with the exception of Ms Mary Hanafin, nobody elected in 1997 had secured promotion. The second was the age profile of those rewarded: "Brian Lenihan, at 43, is the youngest junior minister in the Taoiseach's line-up."
Mr Conor Lenihan (39), the younger brother of Brian, added that "by far the most bizarre aspect of the choice of Ministers has been the decision to compensate those dropped from the Cabinet by giving them junior minister jobs".
This was "a humane gesture" but would not go down well with those overlooked.
Mr Lenihan also commented that while, traditionally, geography was said to play a major part in the choice of junior ministers, on this occasion it appeared to have played a bigger role in the senior appointments.
"There was much hilarity among Government deputies about the number of ministerial Mercs that will now be driving around Donegal. Three out of the four Fianna Fáil deputies (Mary Coughlan, Pat the Cope Gallagher and Jim McDaid) for the county hold ministries. Celia Keaveney must feel very left out indeed."
Mr Lenihan's are the latest in a series of criticisms from within Fianna Fáil over the Taoiseach's handling of ministerial appointments.
After he had been passed over for a senior ministry, Limerick TD Mr Willie O'Dea described himself as "hurt and gutted". He also said: "Nobody had the decency to utter a word to me, no more than you would throw to a dog."
His disappointment was compounded by the fact that his constituency colleague, the newly elected Progressive Democrats TD Tim O'Malley was given a junior ministry, putting him on the same level as Mr O'Dea, who was reappointed as a minister of state, despite his criticisms.
But the allocation of junior ministries also brought complaints, as did the manner in which certain incumbents lost their jobs. Friends of sacked juniors Mr Noel Davern, Mr Danny Wallace, Ms Mary Wallace and Mr Joe Jacob complained that there had been no formal notification of their demotions.