Taoiseach Brian Cowen has dropped seven of the 20 Ministers of State and promoted two Fianna Fáil TDs from the backbenches in what he said would be a “more slim-lined and efficient allocation of responsibilities”.
The Ministers who have not been re-appointed to the reduced second-tier ministerial ranks of 15 are: Noel Ahern (Dublin North West); Sean Power (Kildare South); Maire Hoctor (Tipperary North); Mary Wallace (Meath East); Michael Kitt (Galway East); Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim) and John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny).
Aine Brady (Kildare North) and Dara Calleary (Mayo) have both been promoted.
Announcing the changes this afternoon, Mr Cowen said the Government had taken more action than any previous government to reduce the overall cost of our political system.
“In these difficult economic times, everybody has been asked to make sacrifices and it is appropriate that those in positions of leadership set a strong example,” he said.
Mr Kitt earlier confirmed to The Irish Timesthat he would not be reappointed.
But the biggest surprise is the demotion of Mr McGuinness, who was minister of state for trade and commerce at the Department of Enterprise. Mr McGuinness was one of the junior ministers with the highest profile and was regarded as effective.
However, he had been outspoken in his criticism of the public service over pay and productivity and, in the past, was seen as a politician who did not always follow the party position.
Ms Brady and Mr Calleary were among a small group of TDs who were widely tipped for promotion.
The appointment of Ms Brady will soften the blow for the Kitt family - she is a sister of Michael Kitt, and also of Tom Kitt, who relinquished the post as Government chief whip when Mr Cowen became Taoiseach.
It will also ensure that there is still a Minister for State in Kildare, following the dropping of Mr Power.
Mr Calleary, like Ms Brady, is a first-time TD, having been elected in 2007. He is one of a number of highly-regarded younger TDs in the party and his presence in the second-tier of ministers will ensure continuity of representation for the west of Ireland. Both Michael Kitt and Mr Devins represented western constituencies.
Minister of State for Housing Michael Finneran is based in Roscommon.
Labour claimed the “limited changes in personnel” unveiled by Mr Cowen were unlikely to have any impact on the problems facing the country.
The party’s chief whip Emmet Stagg said: “It will require far more drastic action to rescue the country than simply reshuffling a deadbeat and discredited pack of junior ministers”.
”We need a change of political direction and ultimately a change of government, if the country is to be turned around.
We accept that there is a role for Ministers of State in a number of areas, but if they are to have any impact at all, it is essential that they are given clearly delegated powers setting out the areas for which they have responsible and for which they can then be held to account,” he said.
Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the re-shuffle would do nothing to address the economic crisis unless accompanied by a change in Government policy.
"The thousands of workers who are losing their jobs every week are not interested in the careers of a handful of Government TDs. They are interested in measures to retain and create jobs, measures which were
glaring by their absence from the emergency Budget," he said.
"Sinn Féin supports the reduction in the number of junior ministers and in fact we would have gone further than the Taoiseach¹s reduction of five. The question must be asked if there was no need for the junior ministers that were cut today then why were they appointed in the first place?"