How is the new cabinet shaping up for Sligo-Leitrim?

After a chaotic return yesterday, the 34th Dáil met again today, managing to return Michael Martin to the office of An Taoiseach before he announced his cabinet positions.

No Sligo-Leitrim TD's were promoted to ministerial positions however the constituency can be sure to have at least one junior minister in Marian Harkin meanwhile, Frank Feighan TD is widely predicted to be appointed a junior minister position for the second time. 

This means Sligo-Leitrim will have three TDs in government, potentially including two junior ministers - what does that mean for the constituency? 

“Leitrim, as well as Sligo, will be glad to see any of its TDs promoted,” says Damien Brennan former Leitrim Cllr and Political Commentator, “It will give that extra influence to that member of our team if you want to put it that way,“ he adds.

“Marian Harkin's responsibility is going to be higher education, at the same time, she's still part of that junior ministerial team and has more influence than would be expected as an ordinary TD. And the hope would be that Frank Feehan would join her.  And if that were the case, then you would have a really good team there.”

The added political clout will help get projects in Leitrim, such as the Carrick Bypass, over the line over the next five years.

Last week, the new government opted to add three junior ministers, TDs who are based in a department of government to help the minister responsible for that office, to the government which brings the total number of TDs who will serve in this role to 23.

However, the amount of benefit that the constituency will get from having their TDs in junior minister positions can be over-blown in the public eye, says Eóin O’Malley, Professor of Politics in DCU. 

“They hear about things first and so they announce stuff earlier than anybody else and so a lot of a lot of the advantage is just perception where they make announcements but they're not really delivering things,” he says.

“I don't think there's this kind of massive advantage that a lot of people think there is because you know for a huge number of government schemes they've just been bureaucratized.”

“They'll kind of be able to lobby for things but they're not going to be able to make decisions just for the benefit of their constituency,” he says. Adding: “Years ago, you know, a minister for the environment, for instance, would be able to get roads in their constituency, no matter what was going on, whereas now, a lot of these decisions have been taken out of the hands of ministers.”

The role of the junior minister he says is often more of a benefit for the politician than to the public they are serving, though he does believe it is a good thing for a constituency to have someone at ministerial tables. 

“I think it probably does help to an extent to have somebody who is going to be listened to at government level so if you do have a junior minister there and if there is some issue with your constituency coming up it will you know you will be kind of heard because you'll be in around the room,” he says. 

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