The 30th Dáil - Bertie’s day but Greens have arrived

APART from appointing two Green Party ministers, deputies John Gormley and Eamon Ryan, there is only one new Fianna Fáil face at the Cabinet table, namely junior minister Brian Lenihan, promoted to Minister for Justice.

That’s a deserved reward both for his performance in government and for batting stoutly in the Taoiseach’s defence throughout the controversy over Mr Ahern’s personal finances.

Otherwise, the latest cabinet was an exercise in musical chairs, in which eight of the 14 outgoing ministers stay as they were.