The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has refused to be drawn on his proposed autumn Cabinet reshuffle. Michael O'Regan reports.
Responding to sharp criticism by the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, of the performance of Ministers, Mr Ahern said: "I assure Deputy Rabbitte we will continue in Government for the next three years. He should not worry too much about the faces and names as we will continue to apply the same excellent policies."
Mr Rabbitte said it would be a cause of national gloom if the best the Taoiseach could do in terms of making a commitment to the people was to state the Government's intention to carry on as before.
"He has seen the response of the people and the disaffection with a government that has grown so arrogant that its own backbenchers are in revolt." Earlier, Mr Rabbitte said that Ireland had the "the most under-performing, indigent Cabinet" in the history of the State. "In case the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, has any doubt about what went on while he was away, most of his backbench deputies and, surprisingly, the Minister for Finance agree with me.
"The Minister for Finance stated this morning that that the normal tendency in this Cabinet is for Ministers to blame anyone but themselves for their lamentable performance. He stated that he is tired of lecturing colleagues 'who are crying and whingeing about not doing things'. The current Cabinet, he said, would not be in government forever and for God's sake should get on and do it. Despite this, he cannot get a response."
It was little wonder, said Mr Rabbitte, that a forlorn photograph of the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, had appeared on the front page of a newspaper. "Our visitors from the United States Congress would consider it a scandal that if in that great country, with its budget, a roads programme costed at €7 billion ended up costing €16.5 billion. It is the same with everything the Government touches."
Mr Ahern said that recent reports on the economy showed it was growing again by 4 per cent to 5 per cent, employment had increased considerably and the level of resources invested in infrastructure was higher than ever. "All my Ministers are making excellent progress on the programme for government."
Mr Rabbitte said he accepted that a number of Ministers had not made any mistakes because they had not done anything. Challenged by Mr Cowen to say what he had done in government, Mr Rabbitte said: "I thought that the Minister would be house-trained and would learn some manners in Iveagh House." Mr Cowen said he did not need lectures on manners from Mr Rabbitte. When the Ceann Comhairle, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, said Mr Cowen should allow Mr Rabbitte to continue, the Minister said: "He is making patronising sneers."