Taoiseach Bertie Ahern paid "warm tributes" at yesterday's Cabinet meeting to outgoing Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and Attorney General Rory Brady.
Mr McDowell was attorney general in the previous cabinet led by Mr Ahern and the Taoiseach reflected on what he regarded as the achievements of the past 10 years in terms of economic progress and the advancement of peace in the North. Mr McDowell responded in kind and a Government spokeswoman said there were "warm tributes all round". Mr Brady informed the Cabinet that he would not be seeking a second term as Attorney General and tributes were also paid to him for his work over the past five years. This was expected to be the last scheduled meeting of the Cabinet, but all Ministers as well as Mr Brady will continue in office until a new government is formed. Mr Brady will be spending six weeks at Harvard Law School as a visiting fellow, which involves carrying out legal research and giving lectures, before returning to private practice at the Bar in September.
The Dáil is scheduled to resume next Thursday, June 14th, at 3pm. The draft order of business begins with the reading out of the list of elected deputies, followed by the nomination of a ceann comhairle and the election of a taoiseach.
Following a two-hour adjournment, the incoming taoiseach would announce the membership of the new cabinet, who would then travel to Áras an Uachtaráin to receive their seals of office, after which a meeting of the new government would take place. However, the Dáil could be adjourned until another date if there was no prospect of a government being formed.
Also at yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Mr Ahern signed an order to set up a commission of investigation into the management, operation and supervision of Leas Cross nursing home.
