TWENTY MINISTERS of State will resign at midnight tonight, and Taoiseach Brian Cowen will nominate just 15 names for tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting.
Mr Cowen was still keeping his counsel close last night, according to Ministers and TDs, although they expect him to make the minimum changes necessary.
However, sources within the Department of Health and Children said the health promotion unit within the department is to be abolished, in a sign interpreted as evidence that Minister of State Mary Wallace’s position is under threat.
Meanwhile, a major question-mark hangs over Minister of State Seán Power in the Department Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
The key issue is whether Mr Cowen will remove just five of the outgoing team or whether he will seek to promote some backbenchers by removing more of them – although the odds are against this.
The issue has, perhaps, been complicated by the surprise departure of Seán Ó Neachtáin MEP, since Mr Cowen might want to consider the Galway-based Minister of State Michael Kitt as his replacement or, far less likely, his Clare-based colleague, Tony Killeen.
The junior ministers who are regarded as safe are: the Government Chief Whip Pat Carey; the Minister of State for Children, Barry Andrews; the Minister of State for European Affairs, Dick Roche; the Minister of State for Drugs Strategy, John Curran; and former Green Party leader Trevor Sargent, who is now Minister of State for Food.
It is not believed that there have been any talks about his future between the Taoiseach and the Green Party leader, John Gormley.
