Quinn adviser may serve Howlin

THERE IS speculation in political circles that Ronan O’Brien, who advised Ruairí Quinn when he was leader of the Labour Party, could be named as an adviser to new Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin.

Mr O’Brien is director of communications and marketing at Chartered Accountants Ireland. His contract with Labour ended when Mr Quinn left the leader’s post in October 2002.

Labour's long-serving press director Tony Heffernan will take early retirement next week, creating doubt about the identity of the party's spokesperson in Government. There has been speculation the position could be offered to public relations consultants Ronan Farren or Mark Brennock. Mr Farren, a former Labour press officer and son of the SDLP's Sean Farren, works for Q4 public relations. Mr Brennock, a former Irish Timespolitical correspondent, is director of public affairs with Murray Consultants.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael press officer and events manager Joanne Lonergan is expected to be elevated to a senior position in the administration.

Fine Gael TD Peter Mathews has employed former Fine Gael deputy George Lee’s parliamentary assistant Colm Fahey as his parliamentary assistant. Mr Fahey is a former chairman of the Young Progressive Democrats.

Emer Higgins, who worked with Fiona O’Malley when she was a Progressive Democrats TD, has been co-opted on to Dublin City Council in place of Derek Keating.