The rumours and suspicions that have long been rife in the world of politics finally find rest as Michael McGrath, the Minister for Finance, is poised to be nominated as the forthcoming European Commissioner for Ireland. This news is brought to us by Jennifer Bray, and Micheál Martin, the Tánaiste, is slated to present an official note regarding the nomination to the Cabinet by Tuesday morning, thereby officially initiating the process of McGrath’s journey to Brussels for the subsequent five years.
Nevertheless, this termination of speculation paves the way for further conjectures, especially concerning who will be responsible for presenting the final budget of the Coalition this coming autumn. Potential successors to Mr. McGrath may include Dara Calleary – the Minister of State in the Department of Enterprise, Jack Chambers – the Minister of State in the Department of Transport, or Darragh O’Brien – the Minister for Housing. Jack Chambers was also recognised as the deputy leader of Fianna Fáil just a week ago.
These changes could result in vacancies in their current roles. Insiders have suggested that Mr. Martin is likely to expedite the appointment of successors, leaving little room for extensive speculation. However, he is expected to keep his plans to himself until the Cabinet approves Mr. McGrath’s nomination formally.
This comes shortly after the European Elections, which set off the process of establishing a new Commission. The Alliance’s party leaders unanimously decided to nominate a new European commissioner without any unnecessary delay. They hope to secure a significant portfolio in the new Commission.
An unspoken mutual understanding exists among the Alliance’s three parties that the incoming commissioner should be nominated by Fianna Fáil. The consensus was for McGrath, a sensible choice from the Fianna Fáil side, to be the Commissioner. Besides, his departure would keep a secure seat for the party in Cork South Central.
Additionally, in the provincial elections, McGrath’s brother, Seamus McGrath, topped the first preference vote in the state, crossing the 5,000-mark in Carrigaline and surpassing the quota with ease. This further substantiates that McGrath is undoubtedly an esteemed politician in the party.
In Bray’s published profile, he noted that by the age of 16 he had earned his Leaving Certificate, by 22 he had run in his first election, and by 47 he had presented his initial budget as the Finance Minister. Upon revealing the latest budget, he marked a record as the first minister from Fianna Fáil to do so in over ten years. Despite the significant €14 billion bundle size, political analysts noted McGrath’s heightened focus on restraint and wisdom, mirrored in his announcement of future-oriented multi-billion euro funds. McGrath’s balanced and composed presentation of a large and forward-looking budget played a pivotal role in reviving Fianna Fáil’s reputation and rejuvenating its image, after enduring accusations from Fine Gael and others of damaging the economy. Alongside the Minister for Public Expenditure, McGrath formed half of the duo that added steadiness amid Coalition’s budgetery discussions. As the administration gets ready for a prospective critical Budget preceding a general election, it will be intriguing to see if the equivalent stability can be maintained under his successor in the Department of Finance role.
In the top story of the day, Conor Gallagher shares updates about a high-level assembly of Defence Forces generals aimed at evaluating the extent of service members convicted for gender-based violence, triggered by growing public outrage over the case of Cathal Crotty, a serving soldier recently spared from imprisonment after assaulting a woman until she lost consciousness.
Elsewhere, optimism for resolving the ongoing conflict at Aer Lingus is on the rise. Barry O’Halloran reports that both factions involved in the pilot’s payment dispute are set to appear in the Labour Court today, raising expectations for resolving the stalemate, which has already resulted in the cancellation of flights affecting approximately 35,000 passengers.
Lastly, the candidate nomination deadline for the Green Party leadership has passed. It is anticipated that Roderic O’Gorman and Pippa Hackett will be the sole competitors. A recent entry to the deputy leader contest, Senator Róisín Garvey will challenge Ossian Smyth and Neasa Hourigan. More updates on the race can be found here.
Julian Assange, WikiLeaks’ founder, is expected to confess that he broke US spy legislation this Wednesday, bringing his 14-year legal journey and UK incarceration to an end. The deal will, subsequently, enable the 52-year-old to return to his native Australia. According to documents from the US district court for the Northern Mariana Islands, Assange will admit to a single felony of planning to acquire and share US classified defence data. WikiLeaks conveyed on social media platform X that Mr Assange was released on bail by the UK High Court from Belmarsh prison in the UK on Monday, and caught a flight in the afternoon.
Amidst the buzz of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour descending on Dublin, music critic Ed Power offers a comprehensive ranking of her musical catalogue from worst to best. Over the approaching weekend gig, more than a few politicians might disclose themselves as Swifties via social media posts.
Looking over to Dáil’s agenda for the day, the Cabinet has a busy meeting planned. On their plate today, they have plans to empower the Electoral Commission to combat fake news on the internet, execute the plans recommended by expert groups to address RTÉ’s recent troubles and propositions to supply Dublin with water from the River Shannon. Following this, an introduction to People Before Profit’s Volice Assisted Dying Bill 2024 is slated for the First Stage at Dáil at 3:04 pm. Other afternoon items (starting 3:55 pm) will involve renewing Offences Against the State Act – the law that supports the non-jury Special Criminal Court that handles terrorism and organised crime cases.
Debates are arranged for the evening: a motion about the European Union’s Migration Pact from 6:22 pm, followed by a Sinn Féin motion about affordable electricity from 7:22 pm. Minister for Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan will be fielding Parliamentary Questions from 9:24 pm. TDs will have a chance to discuss Topical Issues from 10:54 pm and lastly, the Committee on the Environment will be exploring long-duration energy storage from 11am.
Eamon Ryan, the Environment Minister, is set to field questions about his department’s funding at the Environment Select Committee at 1pm. Additionally, a strategic review by the National Parks and Wildlife Service will be presented to the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage at 3pm. Concurrently, Roderic O’Gorman, the Minister for Children and Integration, will discuss the enactment of Sustainable Development Goals with the Committee on Children and Integration. Fifteen minutes later, at 3:15pm, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will receive an update from the UCD Ukraine Trauma Project on their activities. The complete schedules for the Dáil, Seanad and Committee are available at these links.