ANALYSIS:It is vital that growing international confidence in the state of the country is maintained, writes STEPHEN COLLINS
THE POLITICAL world has been in shock since rumours began to circulate shortly before Christmas that Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan had been diagnosed with a serious form of cancer affecting the pancreas.
Lenihan formally confirmed his condition yesterday. He also announced that he intended to stay on at his post and would remain in office as long as his doctors advised him that he was fit to do so.
The general reaction to Lenihan’s announcement was primarily one of sympathy for the man himself and his family. He is one of the most popular politicians in Leinster House, with a rare combination of geniality, intelligence and political ability.
His capacity to roll with the punches and avoid rancour in the course of debate has won the affection even of those Opposition politicians most critical of his policies. He has generated a similar response from much of the media.
As well as the concern for Lenihan at a personal level, the political reaction has also been one of real anxiety at the political consequences of his illness.
In the course of the past 18 months he has established himself as the outstanding figure in the Government. People on all sides of the political divide doubt if the Coalition could have survived the twin shocks of the banking catastrophe and the collapse of the public finances without his hand on the tiller at finance.
The country is far from being out of the woods, despite the series of political achievements chalked up by the Government before Christmas. The fallout from the Budget decisions and the playing out of the banking debacle in the months ahead means there will be no respite from the pressure.
While Lenihan has pointed to the fact that the first half of the year at the Department of Finance is usually less onerous than the second half, when preparations for the annual budget begin, it is still a hugely demanding portfolio at any time.
It is the combination of personal and political concerns that has made the Minister’s illness such an important issue for the country as well as for his own family.
In his statement outlining his medical condition yesterday, the Minister said he was feeling fit and well and announced his intention of continuing in office, notwithstanding his diagnosis. “Having discussed the matter with the Taoiseach and having consulted my medical advisers, it is my intention to continue to serve as Minister for Finance.”
He added he would cut down on the demands placed on him by not accepting invitations for speaking engagements in the next few months, but he was emphatic about his intention to continue to run his department as he has been doing since he took office in May 2008.
“I will continue to fulfil the essential functions of my office. I will supervise the work of my department and meet delegations relevant to this work.
“I will prepare for and attend Government meetings. I will make myself accountable to Dáil Éireann and carry out my parliamentary duties.
“I will convene and attend any meetings required for the implementation of Government policy. I will be available for media interviews about my work as Minister, as required. I will continue to represent the constituency of Dublin West to the best of my abilities.”
Lenihan insisted that regardless of any debilitating effects of his cancer treatment, his intellectual ability will not be impaired and he will be able to cope with the demands of office by reducing his workload and cutting out the “gallivanting” that is such a pervasive aspect of Irish politics.
He said he has been working 14-hour days, getting up at 7.30am and getting to bed about 1am for much of his time as Minister for Finance and he will reduce this to the kind of working day that most people would regard as normal.
The Minister was adamant that he would be accountable to the Dáil in the normal way and he did not wish the Opposition to behave any less robustly than in the past. He rang Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton on Sunday night to tell him the nature of his illness and was also contacting Labour’s Joan Burton. Both have wished him well and backed his decision to stay on as Minister for Finance.
Apart from local politics, the Minister’s state of health is also important in terms of how international financial markets regard Ireland. His budgetary policies have generated growing confidence in Ireland’s ability to deal with its economic problems and it is vital that this confidence is maintained.
In his statement yesterday and in subsequent interviews, Lenihan emphasised that he was continuing in office because he had been advised by his doctors that he was fit to continue to fulfil his duties.
“If that position were to change in the course of my treatment, I would be the first to recognise it. At all times, I will act in the best interests of the country and in accordance with any medical advice received. I do not intend to issue any further statements about this matter,” he said.
Given that neither the Minister nor anybody else can say at this stage what the impact on him of the treatment will be, or how he will respond to it, it makes sense at both a personal and a political level for him to remain in office.
Stephen Collins is Political Editor