FINE GAEL has challenged Brian Cowen to show that his government will mark a new departure and change of direction by sacking Mary Harney as Minister for Health. DEAGLÁN DE BRÉADÚN, Political Correspondent reports
In a strongly worded statement, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has also called on the Fianna Fáil leader-designate to reject proposed ministerial pay increases and to rewrite the Programme for Government in line with new economic realities.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to submit his resignation to President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin this evening but will continue in office on a caretaker basis until Mr Cowen's expected election in the Dáil tomorrow afternoon.
Fine Gael will nominate Mr Kenny for the post and Labour will propose party leader Eamon Gilmore, but Mr Cowen is set to be elected.
Senior Fine Gael sources told The Irish Times last night that if Mr Cowen was serious about signalling a new approach, he would "put somebody new into health who would have a fresh mandate".
Likewise, cancelling the ministerial pay rises at the start of national pay talks would send a clear message that "it is time to tighten our belts". Redrafting the programme for government would also introduce a badly needed note of realism.
Fine Gael sources said they would be "setting the bar" for the incoming taoiseach, arguing: "Brian Cowen has had a pretty soft run in the media for a long time: we don't see any great ministerial achievements."
The main opposition party would also be looking to Mr Cowen to launch a vigorous and sustained campaign by the Government to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. "The absence of a strong government campaign up to now has left some of the field open to the No side," the sources said.
In his statement yesterday, Mr Kenny said Ms Harney had "ultimately failed" those who used the health service. "A new minister for health would offer hope that frontline services can be protected; that the bureaucracy can be tackled; that the patient will be put before the failed and rejected ideology of the PDs."
Commenting that the pay talks could "make or break" the economy for the next 10 years, Mr Kenny said: "Brian Cowen now has the opportunity to show political will and act. He knows it is not right that Ministers should take massive pay increases of €38,000 while asking workers to limit their demands."
Claiming that the Programme for Government was now "entirely in tatters", Mr Kenny said: "A new, truthful Programme for Government setting out realistic and achievable targets is now needed, otherwise the great illusion continues."
Mr Cowen will formally accede to the leadership of Fianna Fáil when the party's national executive holds a special meeting in Dublin at 7pm this evening. He has already been chosen as leader-designate of the parliamentary party and will now become the seventh president of Fianna Fáil.
Following his anticipated election as Taoiseach by the Dáil, Mr Cowen will go to the Áras to receive his seal of office. He will return to the Dáil to announce the names of his cabinet tomorrow evening.
There was continuing speculation about cabinet changes yesterday, with Micheál Martin, Dermot Ahern and Noel Dempsey featuring as candidates for Minister for Finance and Brian Lenihan as a possible Tánaiste in addition to his current post as Minister for Justice. Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan is expected to be given a different portfolio and Minister of State for Children Brendan Smith is tipped for promotion.
Geographical factors were considered important with the need for Cork and Dublin to be given high-profile posts regarded as paramount.