Ministers forecast rival Limerick TDs will 'eat each other alive' in Harris's new Cabinet

Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Taoiseach Simon Harris and Leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan surrounded by the junior ministers of the Cabinet. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

An “all-out war” has been predicted between two Limerick constituency rivals who have been put into the same Government department.

Eyebrows have been raised across Government at Simon Harris's decision to appoint Fine Gael's Patrick O'Donovan as the senior minister in the Department of Higher Education as it means he joins fellow Limerickman and Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins who was already in the junior role.

"They are going to eat each other alive. They will both survive, but it's going to be nasty," one Fianna Fáil minister said.

Another senior member of Government described the west Limerick tension between both men as "not ideal". But he warned: "If they both go at each other, neither will come out on top."

With an election guaranteed in the next 12 months, many around Leinster House described the move as "a funny one" with one junior minister stating: "It will be like cat and mouse".

Meanwhile, former Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring has said he turned down two junior ministries after the Taoiseach announced his new Ministers of State.

Mr Harris has promoted Alan Dillon, who is in the same Mayo constituency as Mr Ring, along with Emer Higgins and Cork TD Colm Burke.

Alan Dillon (centre) has been appointed Minister of State in Taoiseach Simon Harris's (right) Cabinet. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA

Speaking on Midwest Radio, Mr Ring said that he turned down the role because he could not yet give a commitment that he will run in the next election. He said that having been a junior and senior minister in the past, he did not believe that he could achieve much in the nine months remaining in the government's term.

Mr Ring declined to say which offices he was offered, but said that neither had spending power, so he declined to take up the new Taoiseach's offer. He said that he did not feel that he could "deliver anything for Mayo". 

He said that he had lobbied for Mr Dillon to be given a junior ministry. Mr Ring said that Leo Varadkar should have made him a junior minister previously.

Mr Ring said:

This offer should have come after the last general election after I topped the poll.

"After being the only Fine Gael TD to top the poll, but there was too much Dublin the last time."

Mr Ring said that he did not feel Fine Gael should have gone into government in 2020 and should have "built up the organisation like Enda Kenny did in 2002".

"There was a lot of fellas more in a hurry for a (state) car than they were about the party."

On his future, Mr Ring said that he has "given his life" to Fine Gael, but would make up his mind on his future intentions in the coming weeks.

"I work seven days a week at this. I've given everything to Fine Gael. I was sick over Christmas and when you're in bed you're thinking 'is there more to life than this?'

"I will make up my mind over the next few weeks. I may go and I may not go."