Fianna Fáil to keep sport brief with shake-up expected within Fine Gael ranks

It is expected that Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will be promoted to junior Minister for European affairs in place of Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne who is expected to get the sport portfolio. Picture: Paddy Cummins

Fianna Fáil is likely to keep the sport portfolio in the reshuffle of junior ministerial jobs, with a shake-up expected within Fine Gael ranks.

Senior sources have also suggested that the current sport brief could be split up and could see the Department of the Gaeltacht getting its own junior minister.

Sources said if this is the case, it would be a Fine Gael brief and “it would make sense” to give that position to Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton.

The only current junior minister deemed “vulnerable” within Fianna Fáil is Seán Fleming who is currently Minister of State at the Department of Finance.

Government sources believe Kildare TD James Lawless should be given a promotion, particularly having headed up a special commission charged with reviewing how the party must change if it is to modernise and grow support into the future.

There will be movement of junior ministers into different departments, but there is no expectation that a number of them may be demoted, a Fianna Fáil source said.

However, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has a “much tricker” job, and it is understood he will “have no choice but to disappoint some colleagues and friends,” according to a senior source.

Neale Richmond's name is 'in the mix' for promotion, according to a senior Government source.

It has been widely speculated within Leinster House that Drugs Minister Frank Feighan and Colm Brophy, who is the minister of State for overseas development aid and diaspora will be demoted.

A Fine Gael junior minister will replace Mr Feighan as the Department of Health already has two Fianna Fáil TDs in place, Anne Rabbitte and Stephen Donnelly.

A senior Government source has said they believe Fine Gael TDs Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Neale Richmond and Brendan Griffin are “the names in the mix” for promotion.

It’s expected Ms Carroll MacNeill will be promoted to junior Minister for European affairs in place of Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne, who is expected to get the sport portfolio.

A source said although Mr Richmond has been quite strong on issues such as Brexit, Mr Varadkar would likely put Ms Carroll MacNeill in the Department of Foreign Affairs, as he did with minister Helen McEntee in 2017.

Fine Gael TDs have said they believe Kerry TD Brendan Griffin must be given a junior ministry position, having been Deputy Government chief whip.

It would be a smart move to promote a woman too to such a high position where Micheál Martin is now,” a source said.

Mr Martin, now Tánaiste, took the Foreign Affairs and Defence brief in the Cabinet reshuffle on Saturday.

Fine Gael TDs have said they believe Kerry TD Brendan Griffin must be given a junior ministry position, having been Deputy Government Chief Whip.

“He probably wants sport, but sport will be staying with Fianna Fáil,” a Government source confirmed.

Brendan is very well respected and did an extremely good job in his most recent position,” they added.

Fine Gael TD Patrick Burke may be moved out of the Department of Housing and into Finance to work alongside Michael McGrath given that he trained as an accountant.