Gormley smothers reshuffle speculation

A FURIOUS Environment minister John Gormley has scrambled to shut down discussion on his promise to resign from Cabinet and hand-over his ministry to backbencher Ciarán Cuffe.

Mr Gormley lashed out after his fellow Green Party minister Eamon Ryan confirmed a broad rotation deal was in place.

The Green Party leader said internal negotiations were confidential.

He hauled Mr Cuffe and Mr Ryan to a function in Dublin last night. At it Mr Gormley said he alone would make the Green Party’s Cabinet recommendations for Taoiseach Brain Cowen’s impending reshuffle.

“I am telling you straight, I am the person that will make those recommendations. And these things have not concluded yet.

“So please don’t jump to any conclusions. I would just give you that very friendly advice,” he said.

Earlier Mr Ryan confirmed Mr Gormley had outlined the rotation deal to the party’s National Executive Committee on Saturday. Mr Ryan said the deal, which had been worked out in 2007, was a matter for Mr Gormley and the party’s former leader Trevor Sargent.

When this was put to Mr Gormley he said the discussions were private.

“Any conversations I have in the NEC and with my parliamentary colleagues are absolutely confidential.

“It doesn’t mean they are secret. It means they are confidential. And please, I would ask you to respect that because frankly this is becoming boring for most people,” he said.

Mr Ryan was of the Green Party to confirm the existence of the deal.

Mr Ryan agreed the affair had made the Green Party look ridiculous and it was distracting from the business of Government.

He said the internal Green Party politics had to be resolved before the Taoiseach finalised his reshuffle.

“Well obviously, the timelines are before Easter, I’d imagine some time after Patrick’s Day. The reshuffle is obviously needed now because we’ve two ministerial positions vacant,” he said.

Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney said the Green Party had been caught fibbing.

“Last Wednesday Minister Ryan was at pains to make it clear he was unaware of any rotation plan within the Green Party. Now he admitted he was aware when he made those comments of such a secret rotation deal.

“He is willing to be economical with the truth to suit his own ends in Government,” he said.

Meanwhile the Taoiseach said the talks were still ongoing on the matter.

“I don’t want to get into any speculation on Cabinet formation.