Over the past fortnight, since Simon Harris assumed leadership of Fine Gael, there’s been considerable conjecture about the potential composition of his upcoming cabinet. Notably, a focus of this speculation is Minister for Justice Helen McEntee’s role amidst a Tuesday reshuffle. Whilst other Fine Gael cabinet members, such as Heather Humphreys and Paschal Donohoe, have not been subjected to similar uncertainty, McEntee’s future disposition is a subject of much conversation.
Some hint at the possibility of McEntee retaining a cabinet position, but likely reassigned, potentially to Simon Coveney’s former role at the Department of Enterprise. Additional fuel to this speculation comes from Harris’s emphasis on a strengthened emphasis on law and order within the Fine Gael party under his leadership.
Party stalwarts, among them previous Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, and former State minister Michael Ring, have voiced support for dismissing the anticipated hate speech legislation. This, alongside the rebuke of plans for extending pub and club operation hours – both being issues McEntee is associated with, has stirred a sentiment for a return to fundamental Fine Gael principles.
Particularly, McEntee’s stretch in the justice department has been notably strenuous over the past half year, marked by widespread concern over growing street crime in Dublin and city riots from last November. Last summer saw her under heavy scrutiny for maintaining that Dublin was safe, despite an alarming attack on a tourist.
Sinn Féin proposed a vote of no confidence in the aftermath of the Dublin riots; despite this, it was confidently quashed with McEntee’s firm defence by her colleagues and the government. McEntee has expressed her desire to remain at the Justice Department in the past fortnight, touting her achievements such as a strict stance against domestic and sexual violence and implementing rigorous sentences for certain crimes. At the Fine Gael’s weekend conference, she laid emphasis on increasing garda presence as her topmost priority.
During a gathering labelled “Ensuring Safer Streets Throughout Ireland”, she discussed initiatives such as the introduction of body cameras for the police force and securing funds for an additional 700 prison accommodations in the near future.
The event saw fellow members expressing admiration for Ms McEntee’s work. Alan Farrell, the MP for Dublin Fingal highlighted the increase in police officers and referenced her efforts to boost enrollment, including age limit extention.
The representative for Louth, Fergus O’Dowd stressed that Fine Gael must take a steadfast stance against crime and the factors causing it, such as poverty and eductional scarcity. He appreciated Ms McEntee’s embodiment of this approach in her role as Minister, expressing gratitude for her actions.
Any direct censure of Ms McEntee during the discussion was limited to a suggestion that judges be given the authority to enforce minimum penalties for severe offences. The person advancing this proposal commented that Minister Harris, the new party leader, initiated the practice of establishing minimum sentences during his time in the Department of Justice standing in for Ms McEntee during her maternity leave. However, this law hasn’t seen much progression.
Ms McEntee’s announcement two years ago to empower judges to place minimum punishments in homicide cases with the possibility of a 20-year sentence before parole eligibility. She announced to the attendees that the law would be released prior to the summer, pointing out it was a “complex legal matter”.
In his address on Saturday, Mr Harris vowed to expedite these plans. The incoming prime minister will be assessing the perceived challenges in the justice sector, as well as the opportunity for a new representative to embody Fine Gael’s renewed dedication to law enforcement, against the drawbacks of shifting Ms McEntee from her current position.
Even though the speed of her progressing initiatives can be critiqued, it would seem unjust to dismiss her due to the intricate nature of the legislations that pass through the department.
In his role last year, Mr Harris experienced difficulties while attempting to implement plans for police to utilise contentious facial recognition technology, which Green Party coalition partners effectively opposed.
Furthermore, it’s important to note that the existing government’s tenure will likely come to an end in less than a year.
Regardless of the potential competence and qualifications of the successors to Ms. McEntee— the most commonly mentioned being junior ministers Peter Burke and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill—it’s a tough task for any incoming minister to get up to speed rapidly with their new tasks and manifest results. Ms. McEntee has achieved tangible progress in areas such as domestic violence prevention, particularly as the notion of her reshuffling has diminished slightly in recent days. When all factors are weighed, Mr. Harris might choose to keep Ms. McEntee in her current position.