Martin Kenny has denied he is disappointed that his chances of being minister for justice in a Sinn Féin government are less likely following a reshuffle that has seen him appointed as spokesman on communications and transport.
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has unveiled a shake-up of her front-bench roster of TDs, saying it is the team that will lead the party into the next general election.
Some high-profile TDs such as Pearse Doherty, Eoin Ó Broin, Louise O’Reilly and David Cullinane will stay in their respective roles as spokesmen for finance, housing, enterprise and health respectively.
No one has been dropped from the front bench but several TDs will see their roles change.
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Perhaps the most unexpected move made by Ms McDonald is to appoint Kerry TD Pa Daly as Sinn Féin’s spokesman for justice, replacing Mr Kenny.
The move for the Sligo-Leitrim TD comes just months after he told The Irish Times it was “absolutely” his ambition to become minister for justice in a future Sinn Féin government.
On Monday Mr Kenny denied he was disappointed that the chances of this happening are receding and he suggested it was still a possibility he could end up being appointed as minister for justice.
“Oftentimes people hold a portfolio in opposition and have a different one when they get into government,” he said.
Mr Kenny added: “I’d have no issue if that opportunity came up to be minister for justice or indeed minister for transport and communications. I’d be quite happy with either of them.”
Mr Kenny said that while he did not seek a move from the justice role, “I have no resistance to it”.
Asked if Ms McDonald had given him reasons for the move, he said: “No, except that she wanted to reinvigorate the party and... some position changes would sharpen us all, I think.”
Mr Kenny said quite a number of Sinn Féin TDs had moved positions and communications and transport is a role that “I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into”, outlining how it includes areas such as broadband that are “critical” for his constituents.
Ms McDonald’s statement on the reshuffle said Mr Daly would “bring his extensive experience as solicitor to the justice brief”.
The other new face on Sinn Féin’s front bench is Longford-Westmeath TD Sorca Clarke, who takes over the education role from Cork South-Central TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire who becomes social protection spokesman.
He replaces Roscommon-Galway TD Claire Kerrane who is now agriculture spokeswoman, while the previous holder of that brief, Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy, moves to foreign affairs and defence.
Wicklow TD John Brady moves from that job to take on the new role of spokesman on youth and integration, which Ms McDonald said needs a “stand-alone focus”.
Carlow-Kilkenny TD Kathleen Funchion – who previously covered these areas – will concentrate on childcare.
Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh will be spokeswoman on public expenditure and reform, taking over from Mairéad Farrell, who will take Ms Conway-Walsh’s place in the higher education job.
Meath East TD Darren O’Rourke will continue to hold the environment and climate brief, but the transport and communication elements of his former role are transferred to Mr Kenny. Louth TD Imelda Munster remains the party’s spokeswoman on media, tourism and sport.
Dublin South-Central TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh stays on as spokesman on the Gaeltacht, and Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn is still the party’s chief whip.
Ms McDonald said her team is “full of talent, experience and ambition” and it is “ready to deliver change in government”.
She criticised Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, saying they are “out of ideas and out of ambition”.
Ms McDonald said: “The longer they remain in office the more damage they will do. That is why we need change and a general election as soon as possible.”
