Two prodigal sons of Fine Gael return to fold as Ministers

Denis Naughten is a hereditary politician. But like many of that ilk, his expectations and abilities have been at least as formidable as those of his late father.

Like others born into politics, such as Máire Geoghegan Quinn, Enda Kenny and Charlie Flanagan, the trajectory of his career has surpassed that of his father.

Naughten’s elevation to a senior ministry is long overdue. He is a natural politician, interested in those he represents but also in the – often laborious – detail of policy.

Naughten would have won promotion earlier were it not for his turbulent relationship with Enda Kenny. His later father Liam was cathaoirleach of the Seanad when he was killed in a car crash in 1996.

Denis, then a 24-year-old student, was co-opted into the Seanad in early 1997. Later that year he was the youngest TD in the Dáil. He has retained his seat in every election since.

Naughten was highly regarded in the party and made a niche in agriculture matters and then as spokesman on emigration.

Broken ties

His father and Kenny had been close friends and the

Fine Gael

leader had forged a strong rapport with Denis. However, that soured in 2010 when Naughten backed

Richard Bruton

in the leadership battle. He was one of those who most prominently called for Kenny to be replaced.

That scuppered any chance he had of being nominated to Cabinet in 2011, despite the fact that Roscommon-South Leitrim returned two seats out of three for Fine Gael.

His relationship with Kenny and Fine Gael hit the buffers soon after the election when Minister for Health James Reilly announced cutbacks in the emergency services in Roscommon General Hospital.

During the campaign Kenny had visited the constituency and made a public commitment to maintaining services in the hospital. He later said he had made no “personal promises” during the campaign.

However, when a recording was played to back to him of that speech, he accepted he had made a commitment.

However, the decision stood and Naughten voted against the Government on a Sinn Féin private members’ motion. It led to his leaving Fine Gael.

The relationship between both men was icy for a period but since then they have repaired some of the fences.

When the shape of the Dáil became apparent, Naughten harnessed a number of rural TDs to enter negotiations on entering government.

His own self-confidence was evident yesterday when he signalled he was not willing to take the new portfolio of Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources without getting more resources, which he was allotted.

Consumer champion

Shane Ross

could be seen as another prodigal son in Fine Gael. He has been a TD since 2011 but was a TCD senator for some two decades beforehand.

A one-time member of the party, he has built up a huge national profile as a champion for the consumer against profiteering by the banks and building societies. He was also a high-profile member of the PAC and helped expose some of the indefensible salary and expenses regimes in State agencies and companies.

Ross was elected to the Dáil in 2011 on the back of outspoken criticism of the banking and political crisis that preceded that election. He saw the possibility of forming Independent politicians into a coherent group well over a year ago and assembled a strong slate of candidates for the general election. Six were returned, but that included five incumbents.

The result was disappointing. That said, the Alliance stayed the course in the negotiations. Despite the loss of Michael Fitzmaurice, the other five members will now have ministerial responsibility.