Disgruntled TDs likely to be given committee chair consolations

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern is expected to give most of the top Oireachtas committee chairs to disgruntled backbenchers who were passed over for ministerial and junior ministerial posts.

Mr Ahern will announce the appointments, which carry an annual salary of 15,000 plus expenses, when the Dáil returns next week.

The Taoiseach built up an expectation among backbenchers after the general election that there would be a major change in the ministerial ranks at their first parliamentary party meeting.

But when the Cabinet was announced there were few promotions. This led to major disappointment among long-serving backbenchers and junior ministers who had been hoping for promotion.

Mr Ahern had a chance to quell some of that disquiet with the appointment of junior ministers and some deputies, who were tipped for Cabinet posts got consolation prizes.

But there was still a large group of backbenchers disappointed they did not get any ministerial post.

Among those deputies tipped for promotion who did not get a ministerial post are: Billy Kelleher, Cork North Central; Tony Killeen, Clare; John McGuinness, Carlow-Kilkenny; and Michael Moynihan, Cork North West. There is a also a group of demoted ministers and junior ministers who will be looking for consolation prizes. Among these are Michael Woods, Eoin Ryan and Noel Davern.

It is expected Michael Woods will get the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, while Eoin Ryan is also tipped to get a key post.

Cavan-Monaghan, deputy Brendan Smith, is expected to get the prestigious joint- chairmanship of the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference.

Tony Killeen, Billy Kelleher and John McGuinness are also tipped to secure the chairmanship of some of the more prestigious committees.

These include: Finance; Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Transport; Environment and Local Government.

Cork TD Batt O’Keeffe is expected to retain the chairmanship of the Health and Children Committee, while Dublin TD Sean Ardagh is expected to stay on as chairman of the Justice, Equality and Law Reform Committee.

Traditionally four of the Oireachtas Committee chairs were given to the Opposition and Independents.

Fine Gael has held the chair of the Public Accounts Committee since the foundation of the State but Labour may pitch for it this time around With 14 Independents now sitting in the Dáil, their grouping will have to get at least one of the chairs.