Although his name had been linked to the post for several months past, the nomination of the Attorney General, Mr David Byrne SC, as Ireland's next EU commissioner yesterday is regarded as something of a surprise. Mr Byrne has not had the political experience of the two other leading candidates in the race, Mr Brian Cowen and Mrs Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, and he has had little direct experience of working with the EU institutions. In the end, the decision appears to have been driven by the Coalition's fear of a by-election in Mr Cowen's Laois-Offaly constituency and the long-standing tensions between Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn and the Progressive Democrats, on the one hand and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on the other. For all that, it may be that some false trails were laid and that Mr Ahern had it in contemplation from the beginning that he would opt for his long-time political confidant, Mr Byrne.
Ireland's commissioner-designate will face a steep learning curve on arrival in Brussels. But it would be foolhardy to underestimate him. As Attorney General, Mr Byrne has successfully navigated some choppy waters, notably his work on the Amsterdam Treaty referendum, the establishment of the tribunals, the Sheedy case and the referendum on the Belfast Agreement: his has been a low-key but reassuring presence around the cabinet table, certainly in comparison to some of his predecessors. To date he is seen as "a safe pair of hands", steady, calm and measured.
The Government will now be hoping that Mr Byrne - like Messrs Sutherland, MacSharry and Flynn - can secure one of the heavyweight Commission posts. That will prove difficult. With no direct experience of economic or foreign policy affairs and with no experience of running a big government department, Mr Byrne may find it difficult to secure the high-spending portfolios coveted by the Government - agriculture, regional affairs and social policy. Mr Ahern maintained yesterday that Mr Byrne has "terrific European knowledge" but not everyone is convinced. In a significant departure from tradition in such cases, the Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, was highly critical of the appointment yesterday. The hope must be that Mr Byrne's undoubted legal expertise will help to secure him a mid-ranking post or better in Mr Prodi's Commission. Ireland is facing into, perhaps, the most challenging period of its EU membership; this State requires a strong presence around the Commission table.
The departure of Mr Byrne to Brussels will see the elevation of Mr Michael McDowell SC to the post he has long cherished, Attorney General. The contrast between two men, thus linked together, must be striking. Mr Byrne is low-profile and cautious, Mr McDowell is flamboyant and idiosyncratic. Mr McDowell's appointment is welcome and well-merited; he has been a provocative and stimulating voice on legal, and indeed, political affairs for a decade and more. Now he has the opportunity to turn theory into practice. More generally, his appointment will bring a dash of colour to an administration in which it is scarcely abundant.