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BERTIE AHERN and Mary Harney yesterday staked the Government’s future on the Tánaiste’s ability to deliver on the controversial health service reform programme.

However, the political consensus was that elsewhere, yesterday’s long promised “genuine reshuffle” by the Taoiseach was a minimalist exercise.

Only one senior minister and one junior minister were sacked and last night there were growing murmurs of dissent from FF backbenchers, asserting that it would do little to reverse the Coalition’s flagging electoral support.

In the one substantial move that was widely predicted, Ms Harney directly swapped departments with Micheál Martin yesterday.

The Tánaiste specifically requested what is acknowledged as the most problematic department.

Mr Martin, who made it no secret that he wanted to leave Health, takes over in Enterprise and Employment. The move gives the Cork South Central TD a portfolio with economic responsibility for the first time, considered necessary if he harbours future leadership ambitions.

Ms Harney’s move to Health was last night being portrayed as a high-risk strategy that could possibly leave her party vulnerable to heavy election losses in 2007. It will also conceivably leave her exposed to sniping from FF backbenchers opposed to the downgrading of health services in their constituencies, especially by a PD minister.

Ms Harney yesterday said she was determined to push through the contentious reform agenda in the remaining two-and-a-half years of Government.

Long tipped to succeed Charlie McCreevy, Brian Cowen’s appointment was overshadowed yesterday by other nominations. However, Mr Cowen’s role will be vital and it is widely expected that his fiscal policies will be a little more concessionary than Mr McCreevy’s.

While few had predicted more than three replacements in the senior departments, there was widespread anticipation of wholesale changes in the junior ranks. In the event, only junior trade minister Jim McDaid was dropped.

While few quibbled at the choice of five new junior ministers, FF deputies last night privately chastised Mr Ahern’s caution and his reluctance to drop more ministers.

The three new Cabinet ministers are Limerick East’s Willie O’Dea in Defence; former chief whip Mary Hanafin in Education; and Dick Roche from Wicklow, who was rewarded for the role he played during the EU Presidency by being handed the plum Environment portfolio.

In all, eight current ministers have been moved. They include Dermot Ahern to Foreign Affairs; Noel Dempsey to Communications; Mary Coughlan, who is the first female Minister for Agriculture; and Martin Cullen, from Environment to Transport.

Seamus Brennan strongly resisted being shifted from Transport to Social and Family Affairs, which he viewed as a demotion.

Only three ministers stay put - Michael McDowell in Justice; Eamon Ó Cuív in Community and Rural Affairs and John O’Donoghue in Arts and Tourism.

Reacting to the changes, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny described the changes as “cosmetic” and borne out of naked political fear. Labour’s Pat Rabbitte said he could not see the much-vaunted “new direction”.

He mocked the new Cabinet as “old wine and rancid old wine in new bottles”. The Green Party’s Trevor Sargent described the Government as a spent force while Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin called for an immediate election.