Ireland's European Commission nominee Mr Charlie McCreevy will not be affected by the likely change in the make-up of the Commission brought about by today's political crisis at the EU parliament in Strasbourg, according to Government sources.
As Commission President Mr Jose Manuel Barroso backed down over parliamentary opposition to his appointment of Italian arch conservative, Mr Rocco Buttiglone today, Fine Gael MEP, Mr Jim Higgins also predicted the turmoil would not affect Mr McCreevy.
"He is 100 per cent safe. He impressed the Commission and had unanimous support from all groups except the communists, which is to be expected," Mr Higgins said.
The Mayo-based MEP said that while Mr McCreevy's position as Internal Markets Commissioner designate is secure, other positions may now be exposed as unacceptable. But he said the team should be considered collectively, rather than as individuals.
"The mechanisms are still there," he said. "It is better to defer and get it right. The problem now really is that there is not a plan B. No-one had prepared for this eventuality."
Fianna Fáil MEP Mr Brian Crowley, who is president of the Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN) group, said postponing the vote was the prudent course of action.
"It was clearly the case that if the vote on the new European Commission had gone ahead today, that the vote would have been very divisive and the vote would have been very close," he said.
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael MEPs had planned to vote in favour of the Commission but Labour and Sinn Féin had intended to vote against.
Sinn Fein MEPs Ms Mary Lou McDonald and her Northern Ireland coleague Ms Bairbre de Brun, who had intended to vote against the new team, welcomed the decision to postpone the vote.
"During recent days it had become increasingly clear that there were serious difficulties across the political spectrum with the proposed European Commission," they said in a joint statement.
"[Mr Barroso] must consult widely with MEPs and political groups on the composition of the future European Commission, and he must return to the EU Parliament next month with a more balanced and progressive set of proposals."