The farce over a junior ministerial reshuffle has cast doubt on the Taoiseach's judgment, writes Stephen Collins.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's shambolic handling of the junior ministerial reshuffle turned into farce yesterday when it emerged that he had an arrangement, dating back to last November, with Minister of State for Education Síle de Valera, that she will leave office before the end of this year.
At any stage over the past two months Mr Ahern, or Ms de Valera, could have cleared up the confusion over her position by making a simple announcement about the deal they had struck over her ministerial future.
Instead both gave media interviews which conveyed a very different, and quite misleading, impression about the junior Minister's political intentions.
By their words, and their tone, the Taoiseach and his Minister fuelled speculation among Fianna Fáil TDs, and the media, that there was some kind of dispute between them about when and if Ms de Valera would relinquish her position.
The saga began in early November when Fianna Fáil headquarters took a decision to hold the selection convention for the Clare constituency on January 10th, 2006. The decision prompted Ms de Valera to go to the Taoiseach on November 6th and tell him she would not be standing at the next election.
According to her statement yesterday, she also raised the matter of her stepping down as Minister of State. "I was immediately told by the Taoiseach to carry on with the job in hand. I suggested that a time limit should be set for my stepping down as Minister of State. The Taoiseach and I agreed that I would vacate that position in December 2006."
However, a few days later, when Ms de Valera announced her decision not to contest the next election, she not only made no reference to her decision to step down from her ministerial post at the end of this year, she let it be known that she intended to stay on in the position in the present Dáil. A few weeks later Ivor Callely resigned from his junior ministerial post after a long-running controversy over building work to his house, which had not been declared in the register of members' interests.
Seán Haughey was installed as the favourite to fill the position, with other Dublin TDs like Jim Glennon and Pat Carey also figuring in speculation. Mr Ahern delayed filling the Callely post until the New Year and as January dragged on, the gossip in Fianna Fáil circles was that he might carry out a wider reshuffle. Fianna Fáil TDs spoke openly about the fact that as Ms de Valera was not going to run for election again, the Taoiseach might avail of the opportunity to appoint two new junior Ministers. When the Dáil resumed at the end of January and the Taoiseach still had not filled the Callely vacancy, Leinster House was rife with rumours that he wanted Ms de Valera to step down but that he had not asked her to do so.
She went on radio to state emphatically that there had been no change in her position. Meanwhile, speculation continued that Mr Haughey was going to get a post.
At any stage the Taoiseach and Ms de Valera could have revealed the fact that she had agreed to resign by the end of this year but neither chose to do so.
Then last week the Taoiseach made his surprise announcement that Meath TD Mary Wallace was getting the junior vacancy. Mr Haughey was indignant and the controversy took off. Mr Ahern spoke to Clare FM last Friday and gave a strong hint that Ms de Valera would be stepping down before the end of the Government's lifetime. She made no comment. The whole controversy had just about died down by yesterday when Ms de Valera came out with the revelation about the deal agreed last November. There was astonishment all round.
How the Taoiseach got himself into such a mess over a relatively minor appointment is the real mystery. A routine issue has turned into a huge embarrassment that has thrown the Taoiseach's judgment and competence into doubt. Going by what has happened over the past few weeks, we are unlikely to have heard the last of this saga.