Former Cabinet minister benefits from Taoiseach's strategic move
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Wednesday November 18 2009
JEDWARD could barely walk or talk when Maire Geoghegan-Quinn last held high political office in this country.
The 18-year-old 'X Factor' twins from Lucan, Co Dublin, still can't dance or sing, but they are instantly more recognisable to an entire generation of young adults who voted 'Yes' in the Lisbon Treaty referendum than the former Fianna Fail minister.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday responded to the overwhelming endorsement of Ireland's future in the heart of Europe by nominating a blast from the past as our primary representative in Brussels.
Over the course of our membership of the European Union, all Ireland's Commissioners, when first appointed, came directly from the cabinet table.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn has a fine track record in politics, but it has been 15 years since she was a cabinet minister and 12 years since she was a TD.
To avoid the holding of a by-election, Mr Cowen opted to abandon the principle of sending a cabinet heavy-hitter to the Commission.
Discovering a newfound commitment to equality, Mr Cowen specifically referred to the demand for gender balance from European Commission President Jose-Manuel Barroso as an influence on his decision.
Given Ireland's record as the prodigal son over the past 18 months, the Taoiseach arguably didn't have the political capital to turn down the request.
FF's abject failure to promote women came back to bite the party on this occasion as it had few options to fill this post when pressure was applied for a female appointee.
Capable
During her 22 years as a TD for Galway West, Ms Geoghegan-Quinn was regarded as a capable and charming politician.
Her reputation for not being constantly attached to the parish pump of constituency work actually stands her in good stead.
She spoke of the personal hurt of politics and the strains on her family life, which ultimately prompted her departure from the scene in 1997.
She missed out on becoming Fianna Fail's first female leader when she dropped out of the race against Bertie Ahern in late 1994.
But she did make history before as, when appointed by Charlie Haughey in 1979, she was the first female cabinet minister since Constance Markievicz.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn was passed over for the European Commission in 1993, when Padraig Flynn was appointed.
She took his post as Minister for Justice and went on to become best remembered for controversially passing legislation to decriminalise homosexuality.
Fifteen years later Fianna Fail is talking about legally recognising the partnerships of same-sex couples, but encountering resistance within the party.
In the end, maybe not everything has changed in a decade and a half.
- Fionnan Sheahan
Irish Independent
