Taoiseach Enda Kenny shocked a meeting of his TDs and Senators on Wednesday night by announcing the reappointment of former minster James Reilly as deputy leader of Fine Gael.
Mr Kenny just weeks ago stripped the former minister for health of the position, during a briefing with political correspondents. On that occasion, Mr Kenny was asked about Dr Reilly’s position, and said: “No, James is not the deputy leader of the party. Obviously, he was the deputy leader and he did a very good job.”
The Taoiseach on Wednesday night opened the meeting by announcing the appointment, which one TD said “defied political logic”. “It is depressing,” the deputy added. “The more things change, the more they same the same.”
Dr Reilly lost his Dublin Fingal seat at the last election but was appointed by Mr Kenny to the Seanad as one of the Taoiseach’s 11 nominees.
Surprise
The deputy leader move is a big surprise, with the position expected to go to Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.
The party meeting also heard criticism of Mr Kenny’s handling of the demand from the Independent Alliance for a free vote on Mick Wallace’s fatal foetal abnormalities Bill.
Cork South West TD Jim Daly strongly criticised Mr Kenny and mentioned former Fine Gael deputy Billy Timmins, who lost the party whip in the last Dáil over his opposition to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.
Carlow-Kilkenny TD Pat Deering also criticised the Government approach to the issue and said Fine Gael must stand up to the Independent Alliance.
Kerry TD Brendan Griffin, however, defended the decision to grant a free vote said and Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance had different stances on a free vote.
Mr Griffin said both stood for different things and this must be respected. He did, however, also imply that Mr Kenny’s leadership of the party must be up for discussion. While not directly saying so, he said that Fine Gael needed to start to prepare for “every eventuality” before the next election.
All-Ireland forum
There was also criticism by Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick of Mr Kenny’s handling of the proposal to have an All-Ireland forum to deal with the fallout from Brexit, which was shot down by the DUP.
Sources have said the proposal came directly from Mr Kenny’s office and was not discussed with others, such as Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and his department.
The idea was floated over the weekend by Ministers Dara Murphy and Simon Harris in media appearances but the DUP was not informed about it before a North-South Ministerial Council meeting on Monday.
Mr Flanagan and his department are understood to be concerned about being blindsided, with other sources saying the issue had not been widely discussed.
“It certainly wasn’t the case that it was the subject of a great deal of prior discussion,” said one well-placed source.
