Brennan tipped for EU Commission

THE winner of the race to become Ireland’s EU Commissioner may be officially declared at the Galway Races.

The identity of the Commissioner won’t be revealed by the Taoiseach until next week as speculation intensifies that Seamus Brennan is ahead of Charlie McCreevy as favourite for the post.

Yesterday a reliable Fianna Fáil source predicted that the Minister for Transport will get the €250,000 a year job, as the Minister for Finance wants to stay put.

“Seamus Brennan is going to Europe. It’ll suit him fine and get him out of the way for the Cabinet reshuffle. McCreevy wants to see the maturity of the SSIA’s (Special Savings Scheme) and is probably thinking of another scheme already,” the source said.

Ministers Brennan and McCreevy are being tipped for the move as Mr Ahern is being urged to seek an influential economic portfolio in the European Commission for Ireland’s appointee.

In an apparent effort to quell the growing frenzy over the appointment, last night Government sources said the announcement definitely won’t be made until next week, but could not say on which day.

Confirmation of the delay does not slow the rumour mill, as the Taoiseach will be at the Galway Races in midweek and in Killarney at the weekend, leading to conjecture about where the decision will be announced.

Mr Ahern, Mr McCreevy and Mr Brennan, along with fellow contenders for the EU plum job, Joe Walsh and John O’Donoghue, are among the Cabinet members expected to attend the legendary race meeting as Fianna Fáil host guests in its corporate tent at the Ballybrit track.

After attending the races, Mr Ahern pops back to Dublin for a day and then travels to the Minister for Tourism’s Kerry South constituency for an official engagement in Killarney, before he heads off on his Summer holidays.

Although Mr Ahern will meet with new European Commission President, José Manuel Durao Barroso, in Strasbourg tomorrow, the appointment of specific commissioners won’t be discussed until a later stage.

Also yesterday, Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh came out in favour of Mr McCreevy staying in his current post rather than going to Brussels. Mr McCreevy has made it clear he does not want to move, despite reports that Mr Ahern is anxious to remove the Minister for Finance as the key part of a comprehensive Cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Walsh is the only figure to openly indicate his interest in the job and described Mr McCreevy as an outstanding minister for finance.

“He is one of the best we have had since independence. We are embarking now on a new plane for another few years and he should stay at the helm to oversee that,” he said.