Mr Enda Kenny will hope to maintain the impetus behind Fine Gael with the announcement of his new front bench yesterday. Four months after the party turned the corner in the local and European elections and boosted by last week's Irish Times/TNSmrbi opinion poll, he set out to give a face-lift to the main opposition team. Only time will tell whether Mr Kenny's first reshuffle will succeed. His team will need to be perceived as the main component of an alternative government.
It was easier, in some respects, to make changes to the Fine Gael front bench than it was to the Cabinet. The election of Mr Gay Mitchell and Mr Simon Coveney as MEPs coupled with the appointment of Mr John Bruton as EU ambassador in Washington left three senior positions to be filled. Mr Kenny was able to bring four new members on to the front bench and change ten persons and their portfolios. To that extent, at least, Mr Kenny can claim to have put together a team "using the best talents in the party to best effect".
The return of former leader, Mr Michael Noonan, as a member of the front bench without portfolio is a sensible development. With the departure of so much of the leadership structure of Fine Gael in the last general election, the party badly needs an input from members with ministerial experience. Mr Noonan will also be an articulate and able chairman of the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee.
The appointment of Dr Liam Twomey, the Independent TD who joined the party two weeks ago, to the key spokesmanship of health and children could be a risky move.
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, has created considerable public expectations with her decision to take on the position of Minister for Health. It is clear that Health will be a high-profile department for the remainder of the Government's term, requiring a strong opposition response. Whether a doctor with no experience as a spokesman can achieve this remains to be seen.
There were other interesting moves made by Mr Kenny in terms of appointing people to mark members of the Cabinet. Ms Olivia Mitchell has always displayed a keen interest in transport. Mr Denis Naughten could fare well opposite Ms Mary Coughlan, the newly appointed Minister for Agriculture and Food. The move by Mr Bernard Allen from the environment portfolio to foreign affairs does not seem to be heightening Fine Gael's profile in that department. And the decision by Mr Michael Ring, the popular Mayo TD, to reject the marine portfolio stole some of the headlines yesterday.
For all of that, Mr Kenny set out to present Fine Gael as the alternative to Fianna Fáil yesterday. He has brought fresh perspectives to his team. The real challenge to Fine Gael, however, is to have not only a high-performing front bench and credible policies but a relationship with other parties which will give confidence to voters that an alternative government can be formed.