Fianna Fáil pushing to keep 'good news' sports ministry role

Jack Chambers, it is understood, was not happy with the decision to move him from the Department of Sport to the Department of Transport. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Fianna Fáil TDs are pushing for the party to keep the sports junior ministry this week as the Government ranks are filled out.

All junior ministers will be appointed after Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, with the three super-junior ministers — who sit at Cabinet — already having been reappointed in yesterday's announcement.

Of those, Fianna Fáil's Jack Chambers was moved from his roles in sport and Gaeltacht and defence to the Department of Transport where he will oversee international and road logistics, the role previously occupied by Hildegarde Naughton. 

Mr Chambers is thought to have been unhappy at the move, with backbench Fianna Fáil TDs adamant that the party must hang on to the sports role. They see it as a "good news" role, pointing to the fact that Mr Chambers has visited sports clubs across the country. 

With Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys keeping the community and rural development portfolio, Fianna Fáil TDs are anxious that they not lose the junior ministry at sport as both are seen as similar in their ability to deliver funding to local areas.

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If Fianna Fáil does keep the role, Thomas Byrne has been touted as a potential replacement for Mr Chambers. The outgoing Minister for European Affairs is popular in Brussels and considered to have done a good job in the last two and a half years. 

However, while he would likely want to remain in situ, it is thought that the role will go to a Fine Gael TD, with names like Jennifer Caroll McNeill and Neale Richmond mentioned. 

Thomas Byrne has been touted as a potential replacement for Mr Chambers.Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin

For Fine Gael, junior health minister Frank Feighan has told colleagues he does not expect to be reappointed, while Minister for Overseas Aid Colm Brophy is also seen as another who could be replaced.

The former Fine Gael whip Brendan Griffin was said to be "disappointed" after being overlooked for a promotion in favour of Ms Naughton, but he has been tipped for a junior minister's role on Wednesday.

Speaking today, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he has asked all of his ministers and committee chairs whether they intend to seek another term in the Dáil. 

He said that all of his senior team had given him such an assurance, but that he has not spoken to junior ministers. However, he said that he believes that the current Fine Gael party is the most talented that he has ever worked with.

"I'm enormously fortunate to have a really talented parliamentary party. 

"It's smaller than it used to be, but it's probably the most talented I've ever worked with. 

"And I think I could fill the ministerial positions and committee chairs twice over, given the level of talent that we have in our party," Mr Varadkar said.