LABOUR MINISTERS of State Alan Kelly and Jan O’Sullivan are contenders for the “super junior” Government position to be announced today, with Joe Costello or Dominic Hannigan expected to be promoted to minister of state.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore will reveal the identity of the replacement for former minister of state for housing Willie Penrose of Longford-Westmeath, who resigned last month, after Cabinet approves the new appointment today.
There is an expectation that Mr Penrose’s replacement should also come from a constituency outside Dublin, given that Labour’s entire Cabinet representation, bar Brendan Howlin from Wexford, hails from the capital.
Geographical location, ability, loyalty and age would have been at the forefront of Mr Gilmore’s mind when he made his decision, according to Labour sources.
Mr Kelly (36), currently Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport, has received plaudits recently for launching the long-awaited integrated ticketing system for public transport in the greater Dublin area, known as the Leap card. Ms O’Sullivan (61), who represents Limerick city, is Minister of State for Trade and Development. She is attached to Mr Gilmore’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is highly regarded within the party.
Mr Penrose resigned from Government in November over the closure of his local Army barracks in Mullingar.
It is unclear whether Mr Penrose’s replacement will inherit his former housing and planning brief, or will bring their current area of responsibility to the Cabinet table. The appointment of a new so-called super junior minister, who will be entitled to sit at Cabinet but not to vote on decisions, will free up a position at minister of state level.
Backbenchers considered worthy of promotion are understood to include Mr Costello (66), who represents Dublin Central, and was director of elections in the presidential campaign which concluded in the victory of Labour candidate Michael D Higgins. Mr Costello was also Labour’s director of elections for the Seanad campaign.
Mr Hannigan (46) is a TD for Meath East. A first-time deputy, he was previously a senator and prior to that an engineer with Camden Council in London.
Other names previously mentioned in connection to the “super junior” post included Róisín Shortall, representing Dublin North-West, who has responsibility for primary care as a Minister of State at the Department of Health. Ms Shortall recently became one of only two junior ministers to secure a special adviser.
Other names associated with the junior position include Cork South Central’s Ciarán Lynch.
