Taoiseach wants expansion of Cabinet to more than 15 seats

Micheál Martin has suggested that an expansion of the number of Cabinet seats might be needed beyond the constitutionally mandated maximum of 15.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has suggested that an expansion of the number of Cabinet seats might be needed beyond the constitutionally mandated maximum of 15.

The move would necessitate a constitutional referendum.

Speaking at the opening of the Fair Seas conference in Cork City Hall, Mr Martin departed from his prepared speech to say he agreed with his colleague and minister of state Timmy Dooley, who had suggested that there needed to be a full ministry for the marine.

Saying he “would love” to have a full Cabinet minister for the marine, the Taoiseach noted that Government is constrained to only appoint 15 Cabinet ministers.

As the population has grown and society has evolved, Mr Martin said, he believes “we do need to have extra capacity” at the Cabinet table.

“It would need a constitutional referendum, to be frank,” he admitted.

“It wouldn’t probably be the most popular constitutional referendum to suggest we need additional Cabinet seats, but we do need to discuss it and debate it because it’s a serious issue, in terms of where lies the focus for the developing Irish nation and Irish society.

“We’re an island, we’re surrounded by our seas and there’s something missing where we don’t have a stronger department of the marine, independent but working with other departments."

He said it is an issue he is "deliberately throwing out there because there are lots of cynics out there".

"But we need to get serious in terms of how we organise ourselves, and it’s not about saying ‘we don’t need that other department, let’s get rid of that’."

Later, Mr Martin was asked by the Irish Examiner whether, instead of a referendum to expand the Cabinet beyond 15 seats, it might be an idea to amalgamate the education and higher education ministries, or the finance and public expenditure roles.

“We can keep chopping and changing, but there will be a need for additional capacity beyond the 15, and I’ve mentioned marine, marine should be a ministry on its own, because at the moment, split between departments, it lacks capacity,” he said.

“One of the reasons I was insisting on creating a minister of state for the marine, which I did, in this government was with a view to Timmy Dooley, who is now the appointed minister, putting together and creating the nucleus of a future department, if future governments are disposed to doing that. Likewise, there should be a separate minister for defence.

“Research is key to the future of our country, that’s why we have a separate higher education and research department. It’s absolutely critical to the future of our country."

He said there will be other "capacities" that will need to be dealt with as the world and society evolves.

"We need to have sensible and mature discussions about these issues, and they can’t be resolved by just chopping and changing all of the time.” 

Asked whether he envisaged a Cabinet with 20 seats, the Taoiseach replied that, in his view, more than 15 were needed.