NEW FIANNA Fáil leader Micheál Martin is expected to announce his new front bench on Monday, with many deputies of the view he will select Minister for Tourism Mary Hanafin as deputy leader.
Sources close to Mr Martin said yesterday he had spent most of his first two days in the position doing what one described as “housekeeping” – urgently reviewing the party’s election strategy as well as making decisions on candidate selection in key constituencies.
The sources said he had as yet not decided on many of the positions, and it was premature to speculate on those who might be selected.
“I cannot say for certain, but I don’t think he has had time to think about the composition of the front bench,” said the source, who added that Mr Martin would most likely announce his election line-up on Monday.
Mr Martin, in the course of several broadcast interviews yesterday, indicated that he would be in a position to name his front bench spokespeople within two to three days.
Deputies contacted by The Irish Times yesterday said they expected the three other leadership contenders – all of whom are senior Ministers – to be retained on the front bench.
It is also likely that Brian Lenihan, Mary Hanafin and Éamon Ó Cuív will be asked to retain their portfolios for the present to avoid confusion.
However, there was a strong view that other Ministers, including Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith, would not be offered a place on the party’s front bench. That would mean that they would continue as Ministers while other Fianna Fáil TDs will take over the responsibility of articulating party policy in areas such as education and agriculture.
There was unanimous agreement that Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan will not be shifted to another frontbench portfolio in the party. “That would be a disaster and send out all the wrong signals in advance of an election,” said one TD.
Speaking immediately after Mr Martin’s election on Wednesday, Ms Hanafin said she would be surprised if she was not considered for a frontbench position. Indeed, quite a number of TDs believe Mr Martin will name her as deputy leader.
Two Ministers of State, Dara Calleary and Ms Hanafin’s constituency colleague in Dún Laoghaire Barry Andrews, have also been mentioned as possibilities for the deputy role.
Mr Calleary, a TD for Mayo, formally nominated Mr Martin, but the fact that he is based outside Dublin may go against him.
“Mary Hanafin presses all the right buttons,” said one TD, speaking on the basis of not being named. “She is a woman and is based in Dublin, where the party is going to be slaughtered and needs to build a strong presence.”
The TD was one of a number who pointed to the perils of appointing a deputy leader from Dublin, where the seats of many of the 11 Fianna Fáil TDs contesting the election are vulnerable – and the new deputy leader might not be re-elected.
There has been a tradition in Fianna Fáil of leaders who represent constituencies outside Dublin selecting deputy leaders from the capital. Brian Cowen departed from that tradition when selecting Ms Coughlan, a TD for Donegal South West, as his deputy leader.
Those being tipped for promotion by colleagues are mainly younger deputies of the so-called “Ógra generation”.
In addition to Mr Calleary and Mr Andrews, other TDs who are mentioned as possibilities are: Meath East TD Thomas Byrne; Mr Martin’s constituency colleague in Cork South Central Michael McGrath; Billy Kelleher from Cork North Central; Margaret Conlon from Cavan-Monaghan; Timmy Dooley from Clare; and Niall Collins from Limerick West.
Another TD who may feature in Mr Martin’s front bench is the Kildare North deputy and Minister of State Áine Brady, who seconded his nomination.
The Irish Timeshas contacted a number of those deputies tipped for promotion, all of whom said they had not received any phone calls from Mr Martin as yet.
Mr Martin said on Wednesday that he would select a full front bench who would articulate Fianna Fáil’s policy position and ideas in their portfolios during the election campaign. He accepted this would give rise to a situation where Fianna Fáil would have separate spokespeople and Ministers in a small number of portfolios.
