Cowen suffers snub by angry backbenchers

MANY Fianna Fáil backbenchers stayed away from their weekly parliamentary party meeting yesterday amid growing dissatisfaction with Brian Cowen’s reshuffle.

Just five turned up to support the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil after what they said was “a missed opportunity” by Brian Cowen to present a new face of Fianna Fáil to the electorate.

A handful of backbenchers publicly expressed their dismay with the reshuffle while many continued to privately express their dissatisfaction with Mr Cowen’s handling of the issue.

Former junior minister Máire Hoctor said Mr Cowen was “protective of himself” by keeping those he knew best close to him in the Cabinet.

She said it was not a reshuffle, but “just a shuffle” and the party ranks will have to “grin and bear it”.

She said: “An opportunity was lost to introduce new enthusiasm, new faces, refreshment,” she said.

“It was a great opportunity for the Taoiseach to revamp his team and that he did not do. He played it safe, the minimum number of new faces were introduced.”

Just one Fianna Fáil TD, Seán Connick, was promoted from the back benches to junior ministerial rank, while the Green Party were given two Minister of State positions.

“I think there are other Seán Connicks there as well that could have been lifted,” Ms Hoctor told RTÉ Radio, adding: “Living with predictability is sometimes unchallenging.”

According to rebel Tipperary TD, Mattie McGrath, “what the public wants is a fundamental sea-change and we did not get that”.

“I’m disappointed that we have six teachers and three solicitors” in the Cabinet, he said.

“I would have preferred to have seen six business- men in there. We need people with business expertise to get this country up and running,” he said.

Giving Seán Connick the portfolio of fisheries and forestry was “not using his talents where they could best be used, because he is a businessman” Mr McGrath said.

There was also criticism that the restructuring of departments was not radical enough.

“There was just minor administrative changes made in the realignment of departments,” said Ms Hoctor.

Mr McGrath said: “I would have liked to have seen a much more fundamental restructuring of the Department of Enterprise,” which he said should be “carved up between planning and economic aspects”.