REACTION:GREEN PARTY leader John Gormley has said the appointment of two of his party's TDs as junior ministers represented a "very successful day for the Greens in Government".
At its first meeting last night, the new Cabinet formally ratified the appointment of the Greens’ deputy leader, Mary White, as Minister of State for Equality and Integration and of Dún Laoghaire TD Ciarán Cuffe as Minister of State for Sustainability.
Mr Cuffe will oversee the implementation of sustainable transport policies, horticulture and the National Spatial Strategy.
Mr Gormley signalled last night that, by securing the second ministry, the party had committed itself to remaining in the Coalition for the long term.
“We can continue in Government and really emphasise the Green agenda. In doing that we are playing our role in getting the country out of recession and bringing people back to work,” he said.
He was speaking outside Leinster House where he announced the portfolios allocated to the new ministers. He was accompanied by Mr Cuffe, Ms White and by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan.
Mr Gormley dismissed the claim that the party’s pursuit of an extra junior portfolio represented “jobs for the boys”.
“That is nonsensical. We had a very clear agreement [with Fianna Fáil] that we would get a second junior minister at midterm,” he said.
Asked about its own internal agreement from 2007 that would see Mr Gormley stepping down from Environment to facilitate Mr Cuffe, the Dún Laoghaire TD said: “That was then. This is now.”
Mr Cuffe added: “I have always been much more interested in the delivery of policy than in the position. I am delighted to have a role where I am joining up the dots on sustainability.”
Mr Gormley refused to be drawn on whether he was prepared to stand down to honour the deal, saying it had always been a private matter for the party.
Ms White said she was delighted to be appointed to equality and integration and looked forward to implementing the agenda, including the Green-led legislation on civil partnership.
Mr Cuffe said there were good policy documents in his three areas of responsibility and his emphasis would be on delivery.
The party secured a commitment from Taoiseach Brian Cowen last Saturday on a second junior ministerial post, according to senior party sources close to the process.
Mr Cowen had originally been resistant to the smaller Coalition party being given a second junior ministry when the issue was broached by Mr Gormley earlier this month.
In talks with Fianna Fáil over the past three weeks, the Green Party’s negotiators emphasised that a deal had been reached in 2007 with former taoiseach Bertie Ahern which the party expected to be honoured.
“There was more meaningful engagement on this issue from last Friday,” said one source.
“Our position was that there was a deal and it needed to be honoured. It was as simple as that.”
On Monday, the negotiations focused on the responsibilities that would be allotted to Ms White and Mr Cuffe.
Fine Gael environment spokesman Phil Hogan said the Green Party’s motives in its approach to the reshuffle had more to do with gaining ministerial jobs than taking an opportunity to change Government policy.