Sir, – Does anyone now believe that the Government, meaning the Cabinet, would have been confined to only 15 members for a long time back, if there were not an express provision in the Constitution (Article 28.1) restricting its maximum size to that number? Of course, the provision has been circumvented for the last 21 years by admitting a “super-junior” (or two) to the Cabinet table in addition to the chief whip, albeit without a vote.
The reduction in the number of ministers of state from 20 to 15 in 2009 was one crisis cutback that did not need to be reversed.
Past trends resumed in the direction of inflating the size and cost of government now mean that, for the first time, over half the deputies in the main governing party are ministerial officeholders, and that all Independents supporting the Government either are or will be officeholders, except Michael Lowry.
Successive taoisigh are being edged ever closer to the position of the king of old in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers, who "to the top of every tree promoted everybody".
While wishing all ministers of state substantial jobs and adequate time in which to do them, this unique combination of minimum Dáil support for a minority Government bolstered by a near-maximum fill of potential Government positions, will not be repeated, it is to be hoped.
To ease pressure on future holders of the office of taoiseach, not to mention the taxpayer, consideration could be given to repealing the Ministers and Secretaries (Ministers of State) Act, 2007 and the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1995, which allowed the number of ministers of state to be increased from 15, first to 17 then to 20, with effect from the first meeting of the next Dáil. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN MANSERGH,
(former minister of state),
Tipperary, Co Tipperary.