Fine Gael front bench revamp

[Allez les blues]

Ahoy there!

There is a lot of talk about Enda Kenny's position this summer within the organisation. I think that he is an excellent man and an excellent leader, and I am confident that he'll come back after the summer break with revitalized enthusiasm and renewed confidence. Party members forget how hard the man works -- it's quite obvious that he has been wrecked tired for the past few months.

What is perhaps needed, in my view, is a revamped front bench. Fine Gael is currently not scoring points in the following areas:

Agriculture -- Michael Creed is silent at a time when farming is in crisis.
European affairs -- Fine Gael has not seized the initiative in respect of the referendum's implications.
Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs -- Michael Ring has said nothing visionary or attractive in relation to either issue.
Social and family affairs -- As we enter a phase when huge budgets will be allocated to this Dept, there is massive political scope for FG here. Minister Hanafin must be slated on economy. We also need to present a vision for the family's role in Irish life.
Arts, Sport, and Tourism -- Olivia Mitchell has said too little..

Meanwhile Denis Naughten is being wasted in Integration and Immigration, Joe McHugh, Deirdre Clune and Kieran O'Donnell are languishing on the backbenches, and Eugene Regan has disappeared since the resignation of B. Ahern.

Leader and GAELTACHT -- Enda Kenny TD.
Finance -- Richard Bruton TD.
Education -- Brian Hayes TD.
Transport -- Fergus O'Dowd TD.
Justice - C Flanagan TD.
Health -- James Reilly TD.
Children -- Alan Shatter TD.
Communications -- Simon Coveneny TD.
Ent, T, and Employment -- Leo Varadkar TD.
Whip -- Paul Kehoe TD.
Foreign Affairs -- Billy Timmins TD.
IMMIGRATION AND INTEGRATION -- DEIRDRE CLUNE TD.
SOCIAL WELFARE -- KIERAN O'DONNELL TD.
ENVIRONMENT -- DENIS NAUGHTEN TD.
AGRICULTURE -- PHIL HOGAN TD.
ARTS, SPORT, AND TOURISM -- OLWYN ENRIGHT TD.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT -- JOE MCHUGH TD.
THE FAMILY -- SEN EUGENE REGAN.
LEADER IN SEANAD EIREANN -- SEN FRANCES FITZGERALD.

- Denis Naughten is a legislator and a hard worker with a genuine interest in the issues that are administered by the Dept of Environment.

-Hogan is not scoring points in Environment but he would do well in Agriculture. His style would be popular with farmers and he would be more hardworking and vigorous in holding Smith to account than Michael Creed. There is less need for vision in Agriculture-- it's about hounding the Minister. Hogan is excellent at that!

- Joe McHugh has a natural aptitude for rural development. His ideas for the regeneration of Donegal are exceptionally innovative. Giving Enda Kenny responsibility for Gaeltacht affairs would be important because of Mr. McHugh's lack of strong fluency in Irish. It would also allow Mr. Kenny to create a political niche for himself nationally.

- Deirdre Clune would be a lot more comfortable in immigration and integration than D. Naughten. She is ideal for that post: she has a genuine social conscience but is strongly nationalist. Fine Gael needs to articulate a vision that is sympathetic while favouring integration rather than multi-culturalism. A nice woman like D. Clune would sell that very effectively. She would keep the pc crowd off our backs while appealing to Ireland's ''silent majority'' nationalism.

- Dividing social and family affairs is necessary. Kieran O'Donnell is a figures man -- he is ideally suited to a portfolio that would focus on social welfare reform. Proposals that would lead to greater economy of delivery in this area will be very popular if they can be imaginitively created. We face potentially huge social welfare budgets in the coming years. Hannafin needs to be held vigorously to account and O'Donnell is the man to do that. Eugene Regan meanwhile has the talent and currency to express a Fine Gael vision for the family's role in Irish life.

-Arts, Sport and Tourism: Olwyn Enright longs to be back in education and isn't hugely interested in the social welfare side. She is very talented, however, and would be suited to Arts and Tourism. She demonstrated an interest in these issues while in education and also in the course of her work in Laois-Offaly between 2002-2007.

Sidelining Creed might be a bit harsh, but realistically he hasn't done enough. It wouldn't have implications in Cork because of the elevation of D. Clune. Also because of the elevation of O'Donnell in Limerick. And also because we haven't a prospect of getting two seats in CNW next time. O'Keefe as Minister for Education will get re-elected and Michael "10,000 votes" Moynihan is unassailable.

[ronniebarker]

I confused about Mc Hugh having great ideas for the regeneration of rural Donegal. I am from Donegal and never heard of anything from him apart from proposing a high speed TGV type train from Letterkenny to Derry Airport ( cost €600 million) euro and supporting one- off planning for everyone in the rural areas including holiday home owners from the North ..... He is languishing in back benches cause he has never taken a stand on any issue and is cosying up to FF in Donegal all the time.

[blinding]

kenny was far from impressive on the lisbon treaty debate.He had an opportunity as an established leader to shine but failed miserably.

[blinding]

kenny was far from impressive on the lisbon treaty debate.He had an opportunity as an established leader to shine but failed miserably.

[blinding]

kenny was far from impressive on the lisbon treaty debate.He had an opportunity as an established leader to shine but failed miserably.

[returning officer]

Perhas there are too many on the frontbench. Do you need to man-mark each Minister, when the party's core message might get better through with a team of 6-8,
Kenny, Bruton, Leo V, Reilly, Flanagan are impact players. You also Enright and Naughton for gender and rural balance. Brian Hayes, as annoying as he is, is also useful. The rest are in the same league as Hanifin, O'Dea and Cullen (except Shatter, whom no-one likes).

[LIMARE]

I dont think Michael Creed has been ineffective as the Agriculture spokesman. He has performed well when needed and the sector does not make headlines. Any front bencher has the difficulty of being ignored as the minister is obviously most important. Generally the media only pick up on the marginal or stupid points making the spokesperson sound irrelevant or missing the main point.

[Stíofán]

Leader and GAELTACHT -- Enda Kenny TD.
Finance -- Richard Bruton TD.
Education -- Brian Hayes TD.
Transport -- Fergus O'Dowd TD.
Justice - C Flanagan TD.
Health -- James Reilly TD.
Children -- Alan Shatter TD.
Communications -- Simon Coveneny TD.
Ent, T, and Employment -- Leo Varadkar TD.
Whip -- Paul Kehoe TD.
Foreign Affairs -- Billy Timmins TD.
IMMIGRATION AND INTEGRATION -- DEIRDRE CLUNE TD.
SOCIAL WELFARE -- KIERAN O'DONNELL TD.
ENVIRONMENT -- DENIS NAUGHTEN TD.
AGRICULTURE -- PHIL HOGAN TD.
ARTS, SPORT, AND TOURISM -- OLWYN ENRIGHT TD.
RURAL DEVELOPMENT -- JOE MCHUGH TD.
THE FAMILY -- SEN EUGENE REGAN.
LEADER IN SEANAD EIREANN -- SEN FRANCES FITZGERALD.

Excellent post. Would concur with all of that.

[CorkHurler]

Perhas there are too many on the frontbench. Do you need to man-mark each Minister, when the party's core message might get better through with a team of 6-8,
Kenny, Bruton, Leo V, Reilly, Flanagan are impact players. You also Enright and Naughton for gender and rural balance. Brian Hayes, as annoying as he is, is also useful. The rest are in the same league as Hanifin, O'Dea and Cullen (except Shatter, whom no-one likes).

We like Shatter

[brenoyfg08]

heyia guys wat do u thnk of lucinda creightion TD for Dublin South East get a change to become a member of the party front branch atfer the summe. althought the lisbon treaty didnt passed on the 12 June 08. i think she would be a great front branch spokeswomen for the membership of the dublin south east.

Wat do ye think