Stealth minister slips below radar

OUTGOING Defence Minister Tony Killeen was a bit like the stealth bomber of the Cabinet — nobody really knew he was there, but colleagues were comforted by his presence none the less.

Unusually for a minister in this most ugly of Dáils, Mr Killeen was widely liked across the political spectrum, especially in his native Clare where it is hard to find an adversary who has a bad word to say about him personally.

But it can hardly be said that the ex-teacher lit up the national stage when he was finally elevated to the Cabinet last year after 18 years in the Oireachtas.

Defence was tipped for the chop as a cost-cutting exercise in what was billed as a radical shake-up of the Taoiseach’s team last spring, but typically, Brian Cowen squandered the opportunity to re-launch his battered administration and made only the most minimal changes. Indeed, bringing Mr Killeen, 58, into the top team actually helped increase the average age of the Cabinet as Mr Cowen ignored promoting young blood — contrary to the wishes of the mass of the party.

Since then Mr Killeen has been a steady, unspectacular pair of hands in marked contrast to his immediate predecessor, Willie O’Dea, who as a master of the politically superficial turned the minor Cabinet rank into a spring-board for his publicity junkie personality.

But that was never going to be Mr Killeen’s style. He has borne his battle with bowel cancer with grace and good humour and it is his medical condition that he says is forcing him to bow out at the next election, dismissing suggestions he is joining the exodus of the FF old guard who fear what the bitter winds of recession have in store for the party once the national poll is finally called.

Mr Killeen’s stint as junior Agriculture Minister was seen as more productive than his one at defence, and before being elevated to the Cabinet he also served as a junior environment and energy minister under Bertie Ahern.

Mr Cowen paid the out-going minister a warm tribute which would be echoed by many across the Oireachtas: “He has shown true grit and strength of character in battling a serious illness in recent times. I want to thank Tony for his friendship and effort over the years.”

The move came as junior housing minister Michael Finneran — a close political ally of Mr Cowen — also revealed he would not stand for Fianna Fáil again in Roscommon-South Leitrim.

Coming soon after Justice Minister Dermot Ahern and Transport Minister Noel Dempsey announced they would not contest the upcoming national Dáil poll, opposition parties said senior Fianna Fáilers were “running scared” of a wipe-out.