TAOISEACH BRIAN COWEN NAMES JUNIOR MINISTERS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000273 SIPDIS LONDON FOR FAS - MCSHERRY USDA FOR FAS/OCRA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ECON EI SUBJECT: TAOISEACH BRIAN COWEN NAMES JUNIOR MINISTERS REF: DUBLIN 260 DUBLIN 00000273 001.2 OF 002 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. Following his reshuffle of the Cabinet on May 7 (reftel),Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Brian Cowen received Cabinet approval on May 13 to appoint 16 Ministers of State (commonly referred to as Junior Ministers). Five new Ministers of State were appointed in a shake-up of the junior ministerial ranks. Three former Ministers of State were demoted to the backbenches. All appointees are members of Cowen's Fianna Fail party, with the exception of Trevor Sargent, who is a Green Party member. (Note: Four Junior Ministers were appointed on May 7 (reftel). End note.) We do not expect any substantive changes in Irish Government policies of interest to the U.S. A summary of Cowen's shuffle of Junior Ministers follows. End Summary -------------- Moving Up -------------- ¶2. Michael Finneran was appointed Minister of State for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Elevated from the backbenches, this is Finneran's first Ministerial appointment. ¶3. John Curran was appointed Minister of State for Drugs Strategy and Community Affairs in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Elevated from the backbenches, this is Curran's first Ministerial appointment. ¶4. Peter Power was appointed Minister of State for Overseas Development in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Elevated from the backbenches, this is Power's first Ministerial appointment. ¶5. Martin Mansergh was appointed as Minister of State for Public Works in the Department of Finance (which overseas the nation's public buildings and museums) and Minister of State for Arts in the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. Mansergh, a former advisor on Northern Ireland to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, was widely expected to be promoted. Elevated from the backbenches, this is Mansergh's first Ministerial appointment. ¶6. John Moloney was appointed as Minister of State for Equality, Disability Issues and Mental Health, with cross-cutting responsibilities to the Department of Health and Children, the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Elevated from the backbenches, this is Moloney's first Ministerial appointment -------------- Moving Sideways -------------- ¶7. Noel Ahern was appointed as Minister of State for Road Safety at the Department of Transport. Previously Ahern was Junior Minister for Public Works in the Department of Finance. ¶8. Sean Power was appointed as Minister of State the Information Society and Natural Resources in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Power was formerly Junior Minister for Equality in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. ¶9. Tony Killeen was appointed as Minister of State for Fisheries and Forestry in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Killeen was formerly Junior Minister for Environment and Energy in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. ¶10. Mary Wallace was appointed as Minister of State for Health Promotion and Food Safety in the Department of Health and Children. Wallace was previously Junior Minister for Forestry in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. ¶11. Michael Kitt was appointed as Minister of State for Local Services in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Kitt was previously Junior Minister for Overseas Development in the Department of Foreign Affairs. -------------- No Change -------------- ¶12. Dick Roche remained as Minister of State for European Affairs in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Roche retains his non-voting seat in the Cabinet. DUBLIN 00000273 002.2 OF 002 ¶13. Conor Lenihan remained as Minister of State for Integration Policy in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Department of Education and Science, and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. ¶14. Trevor Sargent remained as Minister of State for Food in the Department of Agriculture and Food. Sargent, a member of the Green Party, remains the only non-Fianna Fail Junior Minister. ¶15. Sean Haughey remained as Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and School Transport in the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. ¶16. Billy Kelleher remained as Minister of State for Labour Affairs in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. ¶17. John McGuinness remained as Minister of State for Trade and Commerce in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. ¶18. Jimmy Devins remained as Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Education and Science. ¶19. Maire Hoctor remained as Minister of State for Older People in the Department of Health and Children, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. -------------- Moving Out -------------- ¶20. Michael Ahern, previously Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Education and Science. ¶21. John Browne, previously Minister of State for Fisheries in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. ¶22. Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher, previously Minister of State for Health Promotion and Food Safety in the Department of Health and Children. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶23. The portfolios that most impact U.S. interests - food (including genetically modified organisms),European affairs, integration policy, and overseas development - remain mostly unchanged. We do not expect any substantive changes in Irish Government policies of interest to the U.S. FAUCHER