Sir, – Tánaiste Micheál Martin says that “there’s a clear understanding and agreement between the parties in Government as to the nomination of the next (European) commissioner that it would be a Fianna Fáil nominee” (News, December 31st).
Can Mr Martin clarify when this “clear understanding and agreement” was reached and provide some evidence for it?
The Programme for Government, which was endorsed by the membership of all three coalition parties in 2020, to great fanfare, contains three whole pages and over 1,700 words of detail on the divvying up of jobs which was agreed at the time. It outlines the “Lanigan’s Ball” arrangement in relation to the swapping of the offices of Taoiseach and Tánaiste, as well as the game of ministerial musical chairs which has since been played around the Cabinet table, but it is entirely silent on the matter of the appointment of the next European Commissioner. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
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Dublin 3.