ÔTough guyÕ Keaveney is in the running for junior ministry after D‡il body grilling

The speculation has already begun in Labour circles in Galway over whether one of the two new Galway TDs – Colm Keaveney or Derek Nolan – will succeed Wilie Penrose who retired last week as a Minister of State after years of holding sway in the Midlands, because of the barracks closure decision made by the Government.

Nolan certainly “went to bat” early this week on Galway Bay FM on the issue of the tough upcoming budgets, but Keaveney must fancy his chances after his performance at the European Affairs Committee in Leinster House last week over the Government’s attempt to make Kevin Cardiff a member of the European Court of Auditors.

The appointment has become a serious embarrassment for the Government since Cardiff was first mentioned for the appointment a few weeks ago, and then it transpired that the Department of Finance where he was the boss had a €3.6 billion ‘bloomer’ in the middle of its figures.

Cardiff toughed it out at a session in Leinster House with TDs, but his nomination ran into trouble last week when it was rejected by the European Union Budgetary Committee by twelve votes to one.

The development was a major embarrassment for the Government, but Keaveney played a key role a few days later when the issue came up before the European Affairs committee in Leinster House.Keaveney wound up playing the ‘key prosecutor’ at a session which provided amazing television for viewers of the main RTE bulletin at 6 o’clock in the evening.

Speaking to the meeting was Ireland’s current member of the European Court of Auditors, Eoin O’Shea, who revealed that he had sent unflattering emails to members of the same budgetary committee about Cardiff.

Keaveney began his incisive intervention by introducing one of the emails. In part of this he wrote that the Irish Government had decided to replace him (O’Shea) by an Irish civil servant who was responsible for financial supervision during the period of the collapse of the Irish Banks.

Initially O’Shea had pleaded for the email not to be read out and then he capitulated, saying that it was sent “in a moment of madness” and that he was “a little bit angry” and that he had since revised his opinion of Cardiff, who was a suitable candidate for the job.

Keaveney pressed on by asking if this was an orchestrated campaign to subvert the Government’s desire, in a performance that showed experience and a grittiness that should have impressed the senior figures in the Labour party.

It certainly means that the next time Keaveney approaches Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore on an issue such as the Health Centre for Tuam, he is more likely to be listened to.

Keaveney, with his years of experience as a trade union official throughout the West, certainly doesn’t lack the bottle and grit needed for the job of Minister of State and he showed it last week at this extraordinary hearing.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.