11 Jul 2014

Dublin: Democratic Left Pushed Out Of Government In Cabinet Reshuffle: *UPDATED + Live Link:



Pascal Donohoe, Alan Kelly, Jan O'Sullivan, Alex White and Heather Humphreys have joined the Cabinet
Pascal Donohoe, Alan Kelly, Jan O'Sullivan, Alex White and Heather Humphreys have joined the Cabinet
The Taoiseach has promoted Paschal Donohoe, Alan Kelly, Jan O’Sullivan, Alex White and Heather Humphreys to the Cabinet.
Enda Kenny said Phil Hogan will be appointed EU Commissioner.
Mr Donohoe will become Minister for Transport, with Simon Coveney to take on the Defence portfolio while remaining as Minister for Agriculture.





Jan O'Sullivan will become Minister for Education, Alex White will be the new Minister for Communications, Energy and and Natural Resources, Charlie Flanagan takes over at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Alan Kelly will become Minister for the Environment.
James Reilly moves to Children and Youth Affairs, while Leo Varadkar replaces him as Minister for Health.
Heather Humphreys will replace Jimmy Deenihan at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Pat Rabbitte has also been dropped from Cabinet.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr Rabbitte said age and chemistry had played a part in his removal from the Cabinet and he wished the Government well.
He said he was disappointed but not surprised.
He added that the country would have been worse off if Labour had not entered politics during the economic crash.  
Mr Kenny said: "Each Minister will outline how she or he in their portfolio will promote jobs and better support our working families. 
"In addition, the Government will shortly publish a Statement of Priorities for the remainder of our term. 
"As we return to better or more 'normal' times this document outlines how we intend to give a hand to working families along with low and middle-income workers. 
"We intend to make sure that recovery is felt and deeply in every city, town and village across this country."
Burton says housing is a priority 
Tánaiste Joan Burton said housing would be made a priority for the remainder of the life of the Government.
She said the coalition would set in train a construction programme to triple the number of houses built to 25,000 a year by 2020. 
Ms Burton said: "we will also explore creative ways of funding social housing provision, and task NAMA to maximise its potential to deliver homes for families."
Keywords: cabinet, enda kenny, joan burton

The Cabinet reshuffle is, for the most part, just that - a reshuffle. But amid the familiar faces moved from one portfolio to another, a handful of politicians have made fresh space at the Cabinet table.
Below, you’ll find the new faces - many of whom have been promoted from their roles as junior ministers.
Business and Employment (super junior)
Who? Gerald Nash, Labour
Constituency: Louth East Meath
Previous position: TD
Gerald Nash, at 28 years old, has already served as mayor of Drogheda and a councillor for both Louth and Drogheda.
He won his seat at the top of the poll in the 2009 local elections, before winning his seat as a TD in the General Election of 2011.
He is vice-chair of the Labour Parliamentary Party and has served on three Dáil committees: Environment, Foreign Affairs, and Public Accounts.

Environment and Local Government
Who? Alan Kelly, Labour
Constituency: Tipperary North
Previous position: Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport
The new deputy leader of the Labour party following the recent leadership election, Alan Kelly won his seat for the first time in the 2011 general election. Prior to that, he was an MEP for Ireland South.
At 38, Kelly has been a long-time Labour member, canvassing for the party in the 1992 election while still in school. He has served as Chair of Labour Youth and was elected to Seanad Éireann on the Agricultural panel in 2007.
Kelly has worked as an eBusiness Manager with Fáilte Ireland.

Education
Who? Jan O’Sullivan, Labour
Constituency: Limerick City
Previous position: Minister of State for Housing and Planning
O’Sullivan has been in Irish politics since 1993, when she began as a Senator, and has been a TD for Limerick since 1998. She only narrowly missed becoming Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in 2007, when she lost out to Joan burton by 204 votes.
O’Sullivan holds a diploma in Education from UCC, and has worked as a teacher and Montessori teacher.
She was appointed Minister of State for Trade and Development after the 2011 general election, but was moved to Housing and Planning following the resignation of Willie Penrose.

Communications
Who? Alex White, Labour
Constituency: Dublin South
Previous position: Minister of State for Primary Care
Alex White put himself forward for the Labour leadership following Eamon Gilmore’s recent resignation, but lost to Joan Burton by a wide margin – 22% of the vote to her 77%.
Nonetheless, he finds himself promoted during this Cabinet reshuffle to a full ministerial seat.
A former current affairs producer in RTÉ, he is also a Senior Counsel specialising in employment law. He was elected to South Dublin Co Council in 2004 and appointed to the Seanad after the 2007 general election, before his election to Dáil Éireann in 2011.

Transport
Who? Paschal Donoghue, Fine Gael
Constituency: Dublin Central
Previous position: Minister of State for European Affairs
Taking over the European Affairs position from Lucinda Creighton in July last year when the latter defied the party whip, Donoghue began his political career as a councillor for Cabra-Glasnevin, becoming a Senator in 2007, before winning his Dáil seat in the 2011 election.
During his career as a Senator, he was appointed Fine Gael’s spokesperson on Transport and the Marine. Before his political career, he worked as a sales and marketing director.

Arts
Who? Heather Humphreys, Fine Gael
Constituency: Cavan Monaghan
Previous position: TD
Heather Humphreys was elected to the Dáil in February 2011 for the constituency of Cavan Monaghan.
She was re-elected to Monaghan County council in June 2009.
She has been chairperson of the council from September 2010.
*UPDATE:
Labour TDs Jan O’Sullivan, Alex White and Alan Kelly have been appointed to Cabinet along with Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe and Heather Humphreys, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told the Dáil.
In the Cabinet reshuffle, Leo Varadkar has been given the role of Minister for Health,replacing James Reilly who is the new Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
Dr Reilly replaces Charlie Flanagan, who held the post for just weeks and is now moving to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Irish Times takes no responsibility for the content or availability of other websites.
Pat Rabbitte, Jimmy Deenihan and Eamon Gilmore have lost their places at Cabinet, along with Ruairí Quinn who announced he would be leaving last week.
Mr Kelly, Labour’s newly-elected deputy leader, has been named Minister for Enivronment and Local Government. He replaces Fine Gael’s Phil Hogan, who Mr Kenny confirmed will become Ireland’s next European Commissioner.
Ms O’Sullivan will replace Mr Quinn as Minister for Education and Skills. Mr Donohoe is to take up Mr Varadkar’s old role in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Mr White, who unsuccessfully contested the Labour Party leadership, is to replace Mr Rabbitte at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr Deenihan has lost his role in the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and is to take up a role as a junior minister in the Department of the Taoiseach with a focus on the Diaspora. Ms Humphreys, a first time TD for Cavan-Monaghan, will take up the Arts brief.
A new super junior minister for jobs will also sit at the Cabinet table after today’s reshuffle. Labour’s Ged Nash is to fill that position.
A ‘super junior’ is a junior minister who sits at Cabinet but does not have a vote, unlike a senior minister. The position will have responsibility for the new low pay commission, as well as collective bargaining.
As part of a deal between Fine Gael and Labour, the junior Coalition partner will replace its super junior for housing with a super junior for jobs.
Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton will keep the senior position within the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation .
Simon Coveney is to take on the Defence brief in addition to his job as Minister for Agriculture.
Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin will retain their posts at the Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform respectively. Ms Burton retains her role as Minister for Social Protection and Frances Fitzgerald will continue in her new post as Minister for Justice and Equality.
Mr Kenny and Ms Burton met last night to sign off on a document outlining an agreed framework for the remainder of the Government’s term of office. The talks concluded at 10.30 pm, having lasted two hours. All matters were concluded, including the allocation of ministries. New appointments to the junior ministerial ranks will not be revealed until next week.
There was broad agreement on the contents of the document earlier this week, but Fine Gael and Labour officials have been working on it line by line over the past 48 hours to iron out minor differences of interpretation.
The new Cabinet will travel today to Áras an Uachtaráin to received seals of office from President Michael D Higgins.
The first meeting of the new Cabinet will take place at the Áras. Afterwards, the Taoiseach and his Ministers will return to Leinster House to seek the approval of the Dáil for the new government. 
ENDS:

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