Moving Mr Charlie McCreevy from the Department of Finance in a forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle wouldn't "make a great deal of sense", the Minister for Agriculture warned today.
Mr Joe Walsh was reacting to reports that Mr McCreevy could be moved to Brussels in a move to calm Fianna Fáil backbenchers concerned over what it perceived as his increasingly right-wing economics.
Speaking in Brussels, Mr Walsh described Mr McCreevy as the most successful finance minister in Europe and one of the most outstanding in Ireland since the foundation of the State.
"The Minister for Finance is the cornerstone of the whole Government. You need an exceptional person in that Department and I believe McCreevy has been exceptional. It wouldn't seem to make a great deal of sense to have the most successful finance minister in Europe moved. I think he should stay where he is," he said.
It is expected the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will name Ireland's next EU Commissioner within the next 10 days.
Mr Ahern is understood to be pushing for a significant economic portfolio as a reward for securing agreement on the EU Constitution during Ireland's EU presidency.