THE BIG WINNERS:NEW MINISTER for Finance Brian Lenihan said last night his promotion was a "fantastic honour" given that he had been a senior minister for only 11 months.
Mr Lenihan and the new Tánaiste Mary Coughlan were seen as the big winners in Taoiseach Brian Cowen's new cabinet.
Mr Lenihan's transfer from the Department of Justice to become Minister for Finance was received by colleagues as a huge promotion for the Dublin West TD, securing the position ahead of other senior Ministers Dermot Ahern, Micheál Martin and Noel Dempsey.
It is all the more significant given that he became a full member of the Government only after the general election last year. He was the first Minister to rule himself out as a candidate for the Fianna Fáil leadership following Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's announcement that he was standing down.
He said he was happy in the Justice portfolio and wanted to focus his energies on a position he had been in for only a matter of months. But yesterday evening he professed himself delighted and honoured at becoming Minster for Finance, the most powerful role in Government outside that of the Taoiseach.
The other major internal advancement involved Ms Coughlan. It was known that the Donegal South West TD was highly regarded by Mr Cowen and she also made clear that she wanted a move from Agriculture, where she found the high level of foreign travel was not conducive to family life.
However, her promotion to Tánaiste - a position for which she was widely-tipped - and the senior economic portfolio of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is seen as a significant elevation for Ms Coughlan (43).
Significantly, when Mr Cowen announced that he would be a candidate for the party leader position, it was Ms Coughlan and Mr Lenihan who nominated and seconded him. While the Taoiseach said at the time that nothing of any import should be read into it in terms of his thinking, both Ministers were widely tipped as the two most likely to advance in Cabinet seniority.
Mr Lenihan's promotion was still seen as a surprise. With the exception of the office of Taoiseach, he will now hold the pivotal role in the Cabinet, with a decisive say on the spending plans and limits of all other Government Ministers. Many of Ireland's taoisigh have been former finance ministers. The Dublin West TD (49) will now be considered as the front-runner among those mentioned as possible future leaders of Fianna Fáil. Though six months older than Mr Cowen, he is seen as a fresher face, having entered a decade after his new leader.
The changed dynamics brought about by the changed Cabinet composition will also mean that Ms Coughlan must now also be seen as a realistic future contender for the party leadership.
Asked on RTÉ last night if he had inherited a poisoned chalice given the global credit crunch and the greater economic uncertainties facing the country, Mr Lenihan responded by saying that there were "essential disciplines" on the fiscal side that the Government had to observe.
He said it was important for the Government to study the international situation before devising the right strategy. He also pointed out that saying "no" was the job of every Minister for Finance.
Mr Lenihan was first elected to the Dáil in a by-election in 1996, caused by the death of his father, also Brian Lenihan. A barrister with an impressive academic background (he did his LLB in Cambridge), Mr Lenihan first made his mark as chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution which considered changes in the abortion laws.
Having impressed as children's minister and as a measured media performer for Fianna Fáail, he was widely tipped for promotion to a full ministry in Bertie Ahern's reshuffle in September 2004. He was said to have been disappointed, however, when left in the same position, after Séeamus Brennan mounted a spirited defence to remain in the full Cabinet. The other two major winners yesterday were Batt O'Keeffe and Brendan Smyth, both promoted from the junior ranks to their first full ministries.
Mr O'Keeffe is one of Mr Cowen's closest political confidantes but said his elevation came as a surprise to him. "I did not know until 4.45pm when the Taoiseach telephoned me. At that stage I had no clue what was going on. To be honest, I had half given up because I had not received a call the previous night," he said.
Mr OKeeffe said that the education portfolio would be a very challenging task for him but said that his own background as a teacher and lecturer would hold him in good stead. Likewise, Mr Smiths promotion was expected. He was minister of state for children, but with a seat at the Cabinet. He has been seen as a quiet but effective performer in his former role and is popular with colleagues.
While no senior Minister was sacked, Tom Kitt did not hold onto his position as Government Chief Whip, the other minister of state with rights to sit at the Cabinet table. The demotion of the Dublin South TD (a constituency colleague of former Arts, Sports and Tourism Minister Séamus Brennan) came as a surprise as his name was being mentioned for possible promotion. He was replaced by Pat Carey, the minister of state with responsibility for drugs strategy.
