MARY O'Rourke lost the title of first women Tanaiste to Coalition colleague Mary Harney in last week's division of spoils. Now the Taoiseach has awarded the office of the Tanaiste to neither of the two Marys.
Last Thursday night Mr Ahern allocated the office of the Tanaiste, on the third floor in Government Buildings, to his partner, Ms Celia Larkin. She is in charge of Mr Ahern's constituency office.
The Progressive Democrats leader, Ms Mary Harney, had campaigned during the election for the abolition of the Office of Tanaiste and all of those expensive trappings of power provided for Dick Spring when he was Tanaiste.
She argued that the role was defined in the Constitution and did not require an office to give it effect. Fianna Fail, of course, automatically agreed.
With Ms Harney installed with the title of Tanaiste in the Department of Enterprise, Employment and Trade, Ms Larkin is to occupy the rooms that housed the Office of the Tanaiste for Mr Spring. There was some indication also yesterday that what was good enough for Mr Spring may not suit the Taoiseach's constituency manager in the new partnership Government.
A spokesman for the Office of Public Works confirmed that a hole had been drilled in the walls of one room to accommodate a new door into the office which had been used by the former Tanaiste's programme manager, Mr Greg Sparks.
There were also suggestions last night that an application was being made for 18 telephone lines to service the constituency office.
The office is on the floor above the Taoiseach's offices in Government Buildings. It was the base of the former minister of state, Ms
Eithne Fitzgerald, while Mr Spring operated from Iveagh House.
It has been decided, meanwhile, that only the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste will appoint programme managers in the Fianna Fail/PD Coalition. Mr Gerry Hickey is to be Mr Ahern's programme manager while Ms Harney has not yet filled the post.
