The debate about Ministers of State is a political perennial that blooms every Dáil term
VIEWED BY many as a costly luxury, Ministers of State earn salaries of €150,000 a year. They are also backed up by officials who cost the exchequer €8 million annually.
The numbers of such ministers – up from just seven in 1978 to 20 today – has increased because of the need to reward TDs rather than the ever-increasing complexities of government.
Clearly, Green Party chairman Senator Dan Boyle’s decision to fly a kite, urging that three should be sacked, has not been greeted well by Taoiseach Brian Cowen in Tokyo.
But Mr Cowen will have even less reason to be happy with his own people, particularly Martin Mansergh, Seán Power and Conor Lenihan, for adding fuel to the flames of the controversy by their offers to quit, or, at least, their support for cuts.
The debate about the role, usefulness and cost of the Ministers of State is a political perennial that blooms at least once during the lifetime of every administration.
Their numbers have grown every time newly formed governments have divided up the spoils of war, or, just as frequently, needed to placate TDs who could become troublesome if left on the back benches.
Sometimes, the fact that coalitions are now inevitable has added its own impetus, where one coalition party has needed the assurance of an extra pair of eyes at the cabinet, or the need to “shadow” a cabinet minister from another party.
In 1994, Fine Gael entered power with Labour and Democratic Left, and Pat Rabbitte became the first of the so-called “super-juniors”: ministers of state with the right of audience at the cabinet table.
The number of juniors had to be increased, however, because of Fine Gael’s unhappiness at its share, and Clare’s Donal Carey became a junior attached to the departments of the taoiseach and arts, culture and the gaeltacht.
The inflation in numbers continued last year, when Bertie Ahern increased them from 17 to 20 – despite the Green Party’s pre-election declarations that the numbers should be cut.
Some of the Ministers of State posts have clear, definable roles, such as the Government Chief Whip, Pat Carey and Minister of State for Children Barry Andrews.
Like many others, Mr Andrews’s responsibilities are divided across three departments: health and children, education and science, and justice, equality and law reform.
Equally, the same can be said for the Minister of State for Europe, Dick Roche, and the Minister of State for Drugs Strategy, John Curran, and John McGuinness, who has responsibility for overseas trade.
Minister of State at the Department of Finance Martin Mansergh – one of those ready to sacrifice himself, it appears, in the national interest – has responsibility for the Office of Public Works, and deputises for his ever-busier senior colleague Brian Lenihan. Minister of State for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Seán Power – another ready to leave, if necessary – served previously in health and children from 2004.
Limerick TD Peter Power, the Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid, holds one of the plums, having responsibility for a near €1 billion programme – if one that is likely to fall in size in coming years.
The Green Party’s decision to highlight the issue does raise a question about the safety of its junior, former leader Trevor Sargent in office.
Serving in agriculture, fisheries and food, Sargent has thrown himself with gusto into his food and horticulture brief, even if he only attracts press attention for talking about broccoli.
The brother of Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, Conor Lenihan, is in charge of orchestrating the State’s handling of immigration. Based in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Lenihan has ties into education and science and justice, equality and law reform.
The brother of the former taoiseach, Noel Ahern, formerly minister of State for housing, is now in the Department of Transport. His Cabinet senior, Noel Dempsey, was left without a junior in the past and is only too grateful now to have one to share time-consuming Dáil duties.
Clare’s Tony Killeen, once in enterprise, trade and employment, but now in charge of fisheries in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, must cope with a plethora of European Union duties.
Minister of State Mary Wallace’s return to the junior ranks in 2006 infuriated many of her Fianna Fáil colleagues after the way that she sulked when she was not reappointed in 2002. Following her return, she served in the Department of Agriculture and Food before moving over to the Department of Health and Children last year, where she now has responsibility for health promotion and food safety.
Tipperary North TD Máire Hoctor is yet another Minister of State whose roles cross departments, as she is responsible for older people issues in health and children, social and family affairs and environment.
Constituency colleague of the Taoiseach, Laois/Offaly’s John Moloney, has to cope with four departments: health and children; education and science; enterprise, trade and employment and justice to deal with equality, disability and mental health portfolio.
Unlike others, Minister of State Michael Finneran from Roscommon has a singular duty: responsibility for housing in the Department of the Environment.
Minister of State Michael Kitt, now in environment, previously served in the overseas aid post – though he never became its face. Billy Kelleher, Minister of State for Labour Affairs, has performed well in a brief that offers occasional, if not frequent, public profile.
However, Seán Haughey, in charge of life-long learning and school transport in the Department of Education, does not even have that benefit.
Jimmy Devins blotted his copybook when he was in health and children by backing the retention of Sligo cancer services and is now in charge of the innovation brief in the Department of Enterprise – an interesting job, if one that is practically unexplainable to the public at large.
Besides their growth in numbers, the Ministers of State attract attention once in every Dáil term, if not more, for the numbers of civil servants that each junior has assigned to them – nearly 200 at the latest count.
The majority of the officials, 120 or so, deal with ministerial business, however a further 80 are paid from the State purse and handle the juniors’ constituency business.