Gilmore delays decision on ‘super-junior’ role in bid to avoid further rebellion
The Tánaiste will not name a replacement for the Housing Minister who occupied the “super-junior” role at Cabinet until after the December 6 crunch financial statement.
A meeting of Labour TDs and senators was told the move would emerge “in the next couple of weeks”, which many took as a signal the leadership was trying to keep troops in line ahead of the grim budget which will usher in €3.8 billion worth of extra spending cuts and tax hikes.
Health Minister responsible for primary care Roisín Shortall remained favourite to take over the super-junior role which allows a minister to attend Cabinet, but not vote.
However, it appeared any such move would see her remain with her present portfolio, with the housing brief going elsewhere.
Cork TD Ciarán Lynch was well placed to take the role after leading the party’s policy drive in the key mortgage arrears area while in opposition.
A number of Labour figures were angered by the original appointment of Mr Penrose to the brief as he lacked impact in driving through reform in an area provoking great hardship among struggling families.
Ms Shortall’s main rival for the super-junior post is foreign aid minister Jan O’Sullivan as Mr Gilmore’s failure to promote women when he became Tánaiste caused concern on Labour benches.
Ms O’Sullivan also has the advantage of being a Limerick TD in a Dublin-heavy ministerial team.
Mr Penrose stormed out of Cabinet in protest at the closure of an army barracks in his Mullingar heartland.
The move was highly embarrassing for Mr Gilmore who is keen to try and strengthen discipline ahead of the Budget and sees keeping TDs guessing over whether they may be in line for promotions in a delayed reshuffle as one way of focusing minds.
Mr Penrose’s behaviour raised serious doubts over whether the Coalition could unite behind the massive spending cuts and tax hikes to be announced in December.
The resignation of the Longford-Westmeath TD over what was seen a minor budget cut caused concern in the party leadership and in Fine Gael ahead of the deep financial privations looming at the Coalition’s first Budget.
Mr Penrose also quit the Labour whip in the row, which erupted as Mr Gilmore was hit by claims from MEP Nessa Childers that a senior politician had threatened to expel her from the party if she continued to speak out against the appointment of finance department chief Kevin Cardiff to a plum Brussels post.
