Former Fianna Fáil ministers of state demoted by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern after the last general election were among those chosen yesterday to head Oireachtas committees.
The chairmanships, each worth over €20,000 to TDs, were named last night by Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt, along with the vice-chairs which are worth €10,000.
Former Minister of State, Ned O'Keeffe and former Cabinet minister, Jim McDaid are the only two Fianna Fail TDs not to be given any form of post byt he Taoiseach in the new government.
Mr O'Keeffe's were considered to be slim after he failed to be present in the Dail to vote confidence in the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern whent he Dail resumed at the end of September.
Frank Fahey and Noel Treacy, who were demoted in June, are given charge of the Transport and Belfast Agreement committees. Mr Ahern has also sought to curb disgruntlement among some who had hopes of promotion to junior minister, including Seán Fleming, who gets Environment.
Brian Cowen loyalists Michael Finneran and John Cregan are promoted to take charge of the Finance and the Public Service and Communications committees respectively.
The selection of former minister Mary O'Rourke to lead the Joint Committee on Children has surprised party colleagues. Limerick's Peter Power is promoted to lead the Justice, Equality and Law Reform committee.
Seán Ardagh, who was bitterly disappointed not to have been promoted to the Cabinet in June, gets the chair of the Joint Committee on the Constitution. MJ Nolan has received the chair of Arts, Sport and Tourism, while John Moloney returns to his Health and Children job.
Dún Laoghaire's Barry Andrews has been rewarded with the Joint Administrative Committee, which handles many of the day-to-day management issues in the Oireachtas, and Cork North West's Michael Moynihan takes over the new Economic and Regulatory Affairs committee.
Noel O'Flynn has been appointed as chair of the Committee of Members' Interests and chairman of the Working Group of Committee Chairs.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has used his patronage to soothe the tempers of those he demoted from his frontbench after the election: Bernard Allen, Jim O'Keeffe, Bernard Durkan and John Perry.
Mr Allen will chair the Committee on Public Accounts, in place of Michael Noonan, who will be vice-chair of the Children's Committee. Mr Durkan will lead the European Affairs Committee, while Mr Perry has been given command of the EU Scrutiny Committee, which examines all EU directives.
Mr O'Keeffe gets the vice-chair of the Constitution Committee, while Seán Barrett takes over a Climate Change and Energy Security committee. Independent Kerry South TD Jackie Healy-Rae, one of those supporting the Government, is to be the new chairman of the Social and Family Affairs committee.
Labour's Willie Penrose moves to take over Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
