CLARE versus Limerick has turned into one of the keenest hurling rivalries over the past three seasons but now the counties are set for a shootout on the political field.
The Clare Echo understands that Clare TD Timmy Dooley (FF) is up against his good friend Niall Collins (FF) for one of the final positions in Cabinet.
Since the beginning of December, The Clare Echo has reported that Mountshannon native Dooley has been in the frame for a Ministry following his poll-topping performance in the General Election. He recorded the second highest vote of all Fianna Fáil TDs nationally.
Only party leader Micheál Martin (FF) with 14,526 managed to get a higher first preference than Timmy’s 11,313. Not since the late Brendan Daly (FF) in 1977 when he recorded 11,933 first preference votes has there been a higher return.
There was surprise at Christmas time when predictions and previews from Ivan Yates on the ‘Path to Power’ podcast and Fionnan Sheahan in The Irish Independent completely omitted Dooley from the shake-up of potential Ministers in the new Government.
Most likely portfolios for Dooley include Climate, Energy and Communications given his work in bringing the ‘Powering the Future: Liberal Energy Forum’ to Ennis in February, a role which would offer huge hope for offshore energy plans in Moneypoint. Transport is another potential Department for the Tulla man.
On Wednesday evening, Fianna Fáil held a parliamentary party meeting to try agree a Programme for Government. If the programme is cleared by the parliamentary party, Fianna Fáil plans to hold an árd fheis this weekend to hold a vote on entering into government among their members.
An internal list circulating this week among senior figures in Fianna Fáil details that Dooley will be promoted to a Cabinet position along with Mayo TD, Dara Calleary (FF), Kildare TD James Lawless (FF) and Waterford TD Mary Butler (FF). Outgoing Ministers Jack Chambers, Darragh O’Brien and Norma Foley are on course to be re-appointed to different roles with Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to be dropped.
Deputy Collins has been a Junior Minister for Skills and Further Education since July 2020. Geography means it may be a toss-up between Collins and Dooley but Timmy’s cause would be helped if Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan (FG) is given a Ministry by Simon Harris (FG).
A source close to Dooley told The Clare Echo this week “he’s coming up on the radar now” after the internal list emerged. “Micheál Martin will have to take into account Timmy’s very high first preference vote, it was the second highest Fianna Fáil vote in the country, the 38% Fianna Fáil vote in Clare was the highest of any constituency in the country”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, political analyst and communications consultant Mark Dunphy from Connolly maintained Timmy’s vote in the General Election showed he is deserving of promotion. “A Ministerial portfolio should go to government TDs who receive the most significant mandate in the past election. Having received the eighth highest first preference votes in the country amongst members of the incoming government, Timmy Dooley has more than earned his seat at the cabinet table”.
On the value of Clare having a voice around the Cabinet table “for the first time since Tony Killeen was Defence Minister is significant. With strong senior and junior Ministerial representation for the counties surrounding Clare, Deputy Dooley’s appointment takes on added importance. The issues affecting our county and the wider Mid-West Region will be given a voice at decision making level.
“Deputy Dooley knows the senior civil servants and his way around the halls of Leinster House which will be to his advantage as he settles into the role and brings key local issues to the attention of his own and other government departments. His primary role will be as a parliamentarian acting on behalf of the entire country, but his appointment does place Clare in a stronger position to receive more than just the scraps from the cabinet table that we have become accustomed to”.
Fellow Clare TDs Cathal Crowe (FF) and Joe Cooney (FG) have not been in the reckoning thus far for a Junior Ministry.
