Walsh declines fight following swingeing attack by O’Keeffe

MINISTER for Agriculture Joe Walsh shied away from a fight with his Fianna Fáil colleague Ned O’Keeffe yesterday.

The Cork East TD hammered the minister’s record in office, saying he lacked understanding of his portfolio.

But ahead of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party gathering in Sligo tomorrow, the Taoiseach went to the defence of his Cabinet in the wake of criticism from Mr O’Keeffe and other FF backbenchers.

In an interview in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, Mr O’Keeffe said the Taoiseach needed to reshuffle the Cabinet drastically and sack at least four ministers, but Mr Ahern didn’t accept the criticism.

“I think the Cabinet works extremely hard, and I do understand it is sometimes easy for people who have had five or six weeks on holidays, who are backbenchers, to be able to come back from their holidays and give their views. I think that’s a very interesting thing to do,” he said.

The Taoiseach said he talked to ministers and ministers of state regularly, but he wasn’t going to repeat what he says in public.

“Of course I talk to them and of course at times there are conflicts. A lot of time there is just work in progress and that’s the normal issue. And I was talking to Ned O’Keeffe yesterday in Fermoy and he looked very well,” he said.

Standing by his comments on the need to introduce fresh blood to rejuvenate the Government’s fortunes, Deputy O’Keeffe said yesterday that he believed numerous other TDs agreed with his views but just wouldn’t say it in public.

But Deputy O’Keeffe’s trenchant criticism of Mr Walsh failed to illicit a response from his former colleague in the Department of Agriculture.

“I believe Joe Walsh has no feeling for Irish farming, especially the smaller farmer. He identifies too much with big business in agriculture and the racehorse industry. He has shown no innovation or imagination,” Deputy O’Keeffe said in his interview.

Although Mr Walsh was aware of his fellow Corkman’s appraisal, he declined to respond. “No comment to make on it,” the minister’s spokesman said.

But Fianna Fáil TD Jim Glennon came to Mr Walsh’s defence and said Deputy O’Keeffe’s ‘sounding off’ undermined confidence in both the party and the Government.

“I especially deplore the attack on the Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, who has been an outstanding success in his portfolio, as all who witnessed his handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis will testify,” he said.

Urging focus and discipline within the party ranks, Deputy Glennon said Fianna Fáil faced a challenging time ahead.

“We have much on our agenda over the next few months, especially the European Union Presidency when Ireland will be leading the enlargement of the Union to 25 nations. In this context to talk of Cabinet re-shuffles is irresponsible and churlish behaviour,” he said.