TÁNAISTE MARY Coughlan has said she is not aware of any plans for a Cabinet reshuffle, and insisted that she would like to continue in her job as Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment.
Ms Coughlan said while the occupant of the Tánaiste’s office was always a matter for the Taoiseach to decide, she had no reason to believe there was any lack of confidence in her ability to do the job. “I have worked closely with the Taoiseach and I will tell you something about that man. If you are not up to the job he would certainly tell you, and he hasn’t said so.”
She said on RTÉ radio's Morning Irelandprogramme yesterday that there had been no indication of a Cabinet reshuffle.
“I would know from all my colleagues, the 15 who sit around the cabinet table . . . there has been no mention of a reshuffle,” said the Tánaiste, who added that it was ultimately a matter for the Taoiseach.
Ms Coughlan added that she still felt she had a lot to offer as Minster for Enterprise and Employment, and there was a highly-talented team of people working in the department.
She defended the work she had done with Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey in the selection of Fianna Fáil candidates to contest the local elections, and said despite the bad result for the party a number of younger candidates under the age of 40 had done well.
She also defended the Government’s record. “We knew there would be political implications for the decisions we made. Of course anybody can say that every decision was not perfect, but what we are saying overall is that the decisions we took were not for the betterment of Fianna Fáil but for the betterment of the country.”
She also disputed the suggestion that Government policy over the past 10 years was solely responsible for the current economic woes. “Are people going to say that we shouldn’t have employed more guards, shouldn’t have employed more special needs assistants, that we shouldn’t have improved our services? Are people going to say that we shouldn’t have put money in the pension reserve which we badly need now? Are people going to say that that expenditure was inappropriate?”