There was major disappointment among public representatives in Clare after no local Deputy was selected for the new Cabinet by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
It now looks as if at least 19 years will have elapsed before there is another opportunity for a Taoiseach to select a Clare Dáil Deputy for a Senior Cabinet post.
Long-serving Fianna Fáil Deputy Tony Killeen was the last Clare public representative who was appointed to the Cabinet by a Taoiseach – serving as Defence Minister from March 2010 until January 2011 following the resignation of Minister Willie O’Dea.
Unless there is an unexpected resignation of a Senior Minister, no Clare TD will serve at the Cabinet table for the next five years while Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Regional Independents are planing to remain in office.
Clare elected three Dáil Deputies who will support the next Government after the General Election last November – two Fianna Fàil Deputies Timmy Dooley and Deputy Cathal Crowe and one Fine Gael Deputy Joe Cooney.
None of the three was selected to take up one of the coveted 15 ministerial positions in the 34th Dáil.
Securing funding for major infrastructural projects is far easier in a county when there is a Senior Minister in the constituency.
Deputy Timmy Dooley was tipped in the national media as being in the shake- up to receive one of the eight Fianna Fáil Senior Cabinet posts in the week leading up to the formation of the new Government.
The Mountshannon man, who picked up an impressive total of 11,313 first preferences to take the first seat in the Clare constituency, has stated Clare Fianna Fáil presented a strong case for a ministerial role for one of its local public representatives after winning two seats for the first time since 2007.
Having lost out narrowly in dramatic circumstances to Deputy Joe Carey in the February 2020 General Election, Deputy Dooley stormed back to the top with an extra 3,550 No.1s following a massive canvassing campaign.
Asked about the prospect of securing a ministerial portfolio for a Clare Fianna Fáil Deputy a few weeks ago, Deputy Dooley said the Clare electorate has put in a strong case to be in the mix after delivering two seats.
“I think there is an expectation for a ministerial role but I am also conscious that there are other constituencies that have done likewise, there are a limited amount of positions and the Taoiseach will have a difficult job to hand out the loaves and fishes at a later stage.
“We now have to hope for the best. You couldn’t make any predictions because there aren’t too many slots available. We have to believe and hope we will be in the mix for something,” he said.
Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.