Ruairi Quinn is expected to announce the Labour Party's new front bench later this month. Chief interest will centre on the finance portfolio, currently held by Derek McDowell. He has been a steady if not spectacular performer. The Democratic Left TD, Pat Rabbitte, who must be accommodated in the merger party has been a spectacular if not steady performer. Rabbitte's apotheosis was reached in the Dail last month when he asked Bertie Ahern if, by any chance, the appeals commissioner who reduced Charlie Haughey's estimated tax bill from £2 million to nothing could be the present Taoiseach's brother-in-law.
If Ahern was embarrassed, Quinn's jaw dropped. Labour Party protocol is that mere backbenchers do not lob grenades into the house without first informing the leader. Rabbitte was unlikely to displace McDowell in any case, but whatever chance he had was blown by the unilateral Dail performance. But Quinn must find a place for a performer of Rabbitte's calibre, so expect an economic portfolio, either an entirely new one or the position of spokesman on enterprise and employment, currently held - in case you didn't know - by north Dublin TD Tommy Broughan.
The Labour/DL merger was never going to be smooth, but unexpected problems have emerged in North Tipperary. The former Labour TD, John Ryan, has quit the party in protest. This means Quinn's hopes of bringing in Kathleen O'Meara, who did so well in the last general election, will recede if Ryan's people do not put their backs behind New Labour.