IRISH NOMINATION:TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has said the Government will "soon" name Ireland's next EU commissioner, brushing aside suggestions that the delay in making the appointment would prevent the nominee securing a powerful post on the EU's executive.
While Mr Cowen discussed the matter with commission president José Manuel Barroso during the two-day EU summit, he routinely declined to talk in public about potential appointees or potential portfolios.
Political sources say the Taoiseach kept his own views about the appointment within a tight circle of close associates.
They say his ultimate preferences may well be guided by his discussions with Mr Barroso, with whom he has been discussing names on an ongoing basis.
The top-ranking candidates at present are Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Ireland’s member of the European Court of Auditors, and Pat Cox, former president of the European Parliament.
While former taoiseach John Bruton was considered a strong candidate, his campaign to be the first president of the European Council may eliminate his chance.
Also in the mix is former Labour leader and former minister for finance Ruairí Quinn, who is being promoted by his own party.
Another contender is Catherine Day, the Irishwoman who heads the EU civil service. Ms Day offered little comment yesterday on a report in The Irish Times which named her as a contender but said she was not at present placed to the fore.
“I’ve seen that and I don’t really have anything to say. For me it has no foundation whatever,” she said.
In Ms Day’s favour is her decades-long experience in Brussels, her close working relationship with Mr Barroso and the powerful position she currently holds at the pinnacle of the European bureaucracy.
In addition, Mr Barroso is known to be seeking to increase women’s representation on the commission. In political circles in Dublin, this is seen as a particular advantage to Ms Geoghegan-Quinn.
While the post of commissioner traditionally goes to a Cabinet member, political sources say the tight Dáil arithmetic will prevent Mr Cowen from looking within the Government.
Although the expectation remains that Mr Cowen will opt for a political figure or one with “political nous”, it is understood that the endgame has yet to be reached in the selection process.
This is fast approaching, however, with Czech ratification of the Lisbon Treaty increasingly likely.
Mr Cowen said “on the contrary” when asked if he had any concern that delaying the appointment might weaken the nominee’s prospects as Mr Barroso made his selection.
The Taoiseach suggested to Irish reporters that the decision to wait meant the relative strength of Irish candidates could be weighted against the merits of other nominees.
“Obviously we’re very anxious to ensure a good outcome to this,” he said. “President Barroso emphasises that posts or portfolios are not assigned to countries, they’re assigned to individuals.”
No decision can be made on the configuration of the next commission until all the names are known and Mr Barroso’s still awaiting a number of names, Mr Cowen said.