Fine Gael’s newly-appointed deputy leader James Reilly insisted today the party had emerged “much stronger” from the recent challenge to Enda Kenny’s leadership.
Dr Reilly said the party’s new front bench, unveiled yesterday by Mr Kenny, represented a mix of “proven performers and new energy”.
Mr Kenny appointed his predecessor as leader Michael Noonan as the party’s new finance spokesman while Richard Bruton, who led the recent heave against Mr Kenny, was appointed as spokesman on enterprise, jobs and economic planning.
The shake-up also saw former minister Seán Barrett return to the front bench as spokesman on foreign affairs.
Two of the younger figures involved in the attempted coup, Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar, were retained on the front bench but three others - Brian Hayes, Denis Naughten and Michael Creed - were dropped.
"There was always going to be a change or a freshening of the front bench," Dr Reilly told RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme, suggesting the leadership struggle had merely brought the changes forward.
“We now have a new, exciting, energetic mix on our front bench that has the required qualities to bring this country back from the brink, to restore our economy and to fix our health service."
Dr Reilly, who retained his health portfolio in the reshuffle, predicted Mr Kenny would win the next election and would become taoiseach. Mr Kenny had the “decisiveness and incisiveness” to lead the country of the morass it finds itself in, he said.
Asked if former finance spokesman Richard Bruton has lost his credibility in the recent heave, Dr Reilly said: “I believe that Richard believed he was the best man for the job at the time. He went to the party, to let the party decide, and he lost.
“He understands perfectly well he has a huge important role to play in the future of this country and he will be in the next government and he will be a minister in the next government,” he said.
Speaking today, Mr Bruton accepted his failed leadership bid was an “enormous disappointment”, but insisted he was now over his “hurt pride”.
In the lead up to his leadership challenge, Mr Bruton had said it would be "hypocritical" of him to support Mr Kenny when he had no confidence in his ability to lead the party. Today, he said he has changed his view. He said Mr Kenny had "proved his steel" by seeing off the challenge and the party has had a series of discussions on how to improve its performance.
"In my view, it was business, it was a professional decision that I took and ultimately, it was unsuccessful," he told RTÉ News at One. "I'm still professional and I'm committed to the future of this country. I believe Fine Gael has the answers."
The reshuffle appears to bring to an end, at least for now, questions over Mr Kenny’s leadership of the party.
Kilkenny TD Phil Hogan, who played a crucial role in Mr Kenny’s victory over his internal critics, retained his environment portfolio, and was also appointed to the key post of director of elections.
Other Kenny loyalists on the front bench, Alan Shatter, Jimmy Deenihan and Michael Ring, were promoted, while Charlie Flanagan and Fergus O’Dowd, who opposed the leader, were retained on the team.
Those who were brought up from the backbenches were Catherine Byrne, Deirdre Clune, Andrew Doyle, Frank Feighan, John Perry and David Stanton. Paul Kehoe, who firmly backed Mr Kenny, was retained as chief whip. He said he had been offered a new brief but had asked to stay where he was.