The Government parties have again clashed over the circumstances that led to yesterday’s botched Cabinet reshuffle.
Green Party whip Trevor Sargent insisted this morning the Taoiseach was told by Green ministers at a meeting on Wednesday morning that his plan to appoint six new ministers was a mistake and that the junior Coalition party would be unable to support it.
Mr Sargent said Green Party leader John Gormley had made it clear to Mr Cowen that the appointments would "go down like the proverbial lead balloon" while fellow Green Minister Eamon Ryan said the move would be seen as a "stroke".
However, this version of events was contradicted by Government Chief Whip John Curran, who claimed that while Green Ministers expressed reservations, at no time did they state they would not support new appointments. "They gave no indications that they would not vote for it," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
The row comes as Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said his party would proceed with a motion of no confidence in the Government next week.
Last night, Mr Cowen and Mr Gormley also clashed on the circumstances which led to the Green Party vetoing the Taoiseach's proposed reshuffle and precipitated the setting of a date for the election.
Mr Cowen said that while he had been aware the Greens were “having concerns about perception” over his plan to appoint new ministers, he took the view that decisions could not be made based on perception. “What has happened is they have decided to veto the appointment of new Fianna Fáil ministers for those who are not going to stand in the next election. I believe it is cynical to leave such ministers in office.”
Mr Gormley said he and Mr Ryan had told Mr Cowen in no uncertain terms on Wednesday that it would not be a good idea to appoint new ministers. “We did not think this was a good idea. If it went to a vote in the Dáil we would not have been in a position to support this,” Mr Gormley told a press conference in Dublin.
He said the first he knew that a number of ministers had resigned in order to pave the way for the reshuffle plan was at 7am yesterday. “We were told . . . by the media about this decision. It seemed to be a fait accompli,” he said.
Instead of appointing new ministers the Taoiseach was forced to reassign the vacant ministerial posts to serving members of the Cabinet and announced a general election would be held on March 11th.
There are now just nine members of the Cabinet, instead of the usual 15, following Wednesday late-night resignations. Under the Constitution the Cabinet has to be composed of at least seven Ministers.
This morning, Mr Gormley insisted he was taken by surprise by the ministerial resignations on Wednesday night, describing them as orchestrated and choreographed. He told the Today with Pat Kenny show he only became aware of Mary Harney's resignation as minister for health after it was reported on RTÉ's News on Wednesday night.
Mr Gormley said he learned of the resignations of Dermot Ahern, Noel Dempsey and Tony Killeen through a text message from a colleague the following morning.
He said Mr Cowen's judgment had been “misguided” in attempting such a move as it would have been seen as a “political stroke”. Mr Gormley said he believed this view was also held by many in Fianna Fáil.
Mr Gormley said he had stated publicly prior to the resignations that ministerial replacements following the heave against Mr Cowen would have to be discussed at Cabinet. He said nobody in Fianna Fáil could have been in any doubt about where he stood on the issue.
There was considerable anger in Fianna Fáil at the Taoiseach’s botched reshuffle. Minister of State Conor Lenihan said he should resign as the episode had again raised questions about his leadership. Mr Lenihan said that the credibility and authority of Mr Cowen’s leadership had "completely evaporated" after yesterday’s events.
Fianna Fáil TDs received no official notification of the resignations of the ministers. One received the news from a friend by text, which arrived after the media had been informed. Several TDs said they would not have accepted a ministerial promotion had it been offered. Minister of State Barry Andrews, who was phoned at home after midnight on Wednesday and offered the justice portfolio, said he was flattered but declined on the basis that he did not want to be seen to be abandoning the problematic children’s portfolio so late in the day.