Cowen’s loyalty card Junior ministers ‘sacked’ to ensure backing for tough Budget

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen last night effectively sacked 20 junior ministers in a dramatic move to ensure total party support for the toughest Budget in decades.

In an unprecedented intervention, he hauled the ministers to a surprise meeting where he ordered them to resign.

At the same time he announced he would sanction only 15 posts in the future — and made no promises that any or all of the existing ministers would be restored.

The manoeuvre, regarded as one of his most politically astute to date, means the ministers will all have to be on their best behaviour in helping push through stringent Budget measures or face the prospect of losing out on a plum job.

And it opens the door for other aspirants to show they are worthy of consideration, thereby vastly widening the field of choice for Mr Cowen.

However, at least five of the current incumbents will be disappointed as the Taoiseach insisted there will only be 15 in total.

FF backbench support for the Budget will be put to the test over the coming weeks as public anger over the Budget emerges over a range of measures including:

• A substantial increase in existing income levies.
• The halving of the early childhood supplement to €500.
• An array of cutbacks in spending.

There were a lot of mixed messages, however, about the prospects of the old reliables of alcohol, petrol and cigarettes being touched.

The Cabinet last night locked down the €3.5bn package to be announced by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan this afternoon.

Mr Cowen was out of the traps yesterday in showing that the political establishment will be reformed by confirming the number of junior ministers will be cut from 20 to 15.

The move, designed to win public confidence ahead of the Budget today, is a late conversion for the Taoiseach, who failed to cut junior ministers on gaining power.

His predecessor Bertie Ahern controversially bought support after the 2007 election by increasing second-rank numbers from 17 to 20.

Mr Cowen has conversely bought loyalty for the immediate Budget aftermath — as backbenchers hope to win promotion when new names are announced on April 22.

Mr Cowen met 18 juniors in the Sycamore Room of Government Buildings yesterday morning — Conor Lenihan and Tony Killeen were absent — to tell them of “a need to restructure the way that the Government does its business”.

He said he was mindful of the pressures on public spending and then delivered his bombshell request for all their resignations.

“We were all a bit shocked,” one minister said.

Article @ www.independent.ie

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