Enda Kenny Announces New Fine Gael Front Bench

[stretchneil]

Finance & Deputy Leader - Richard Bruton
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - Michael Creed
Art, Sport and Tourism - Olivia Mitchell
Children - Alan Shatter
Communications, Energy and Natural Resources - Simon Coveney
Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs - Michael Ring
Defence - Jimmy Deenihan
Education and Science - Brian Hayes
Enterprise, Trade and Employment - Leo Varadkar
Environment, Heritage and Local Government - Phil Hogan
Foreign Affairs - Billy Timmins
Health - James Reilly
Immigration and Integration - Denis Naughten
Justice, Equality and Law Reform - Charlie Flanagan
Social and Family Affairs - Olwyn Enright
Transport and the Marine - Fergus O’Dowd
Chief Whip - Paul Kehoe
Leader of the Opposition in the Seanad - Frances Fitzgerald

[stretchneil]

The Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny T.D., today announced the details of his Front Bench re-shuffle. Commenting on the new Front Bench Kenny said:

“I have picked a team with a range of talents and experience that will directly mark Government Ministers as well as developing and advancing new Fine Gael policy. In addition I have created two new full Front Bench positions to deal with issues that I believe are of critical importance for the future. They are Immigration & Integration and
Children, which will be the focus of a referendum in the near future.

“After securing twenty extra seats at the last election there was a wealth of talent, experience and ability to choose from when selecting this new Front Bench. I am confident that this team will challenge their direct counterparts in Government and be the standard bearers for Fine Gael as we set out on our task to become the largest Party in the next
Dáil.”

New thread started for confirmed announcement.

[The Trinity Politick]

Nice to see Labour helping out....

[aodh_rua]

Any chance you could merge this with the other threads? I know this one gets on the front page, but there are 6 pages plus of discussion elsewhere including the line-up before this one.

[Supersid]

Is Michael Ring bi-lingual in gibberish? What has Olivia Mitchell done wrong to get relegated? Varadkar looks like the most interesting appointment.

[Rivershannon]

OK Plenty of Style there now lets see the substance over the next two years.

[geraghd]

Wow Lucinda doesnt feature. Weird choice for Leo with Enterprise..interesting to see how O reilly does...Shatter not put to best use I wonder?
Billy Timmin Foreign Affairs? though had to get a promotion for that second seat in Wicklow..

[geraghd]

Correction, Shatters legal expertise would do well in Children..

[john scott]

FG's new front bench seems a bit staid. The only new bloods are Reilly and Varadker. I think they will add weight to it. Shatter also a good addition. Good to see Bruton left in Finace. This guy really knows his stuff and with Labour having chosen Burton as their finance spokesperson I think Brian Cowen is in for a fairly torrid time.

[stretchneil]

Sorry lads - I don't have the power to merge threads, and Dave asked me to post this up on the front page. Hence the two threads. Also saves people scrolling through six pages to see the actual front-bench, I suppose.

Interesting to see Shatter get Children, on the same day Howlin was given constitutional affairs. We could have a hell of battle with those two against the Government on the proposed Children's amendment.