The top performers and weakest links in Cabinet
Monday July 27 2009
THE Cabinet meets for the last time before its summer break later this week. The gathering on Wednesday also marks the completion of two years of its term of office.
With no guarantee that the coalition can last to its full five years, it's an appropriate time to run the rule over the governing administration so far.
Who has lived up to top billing? And who might be the Cabinet's weakest link?
- Taoiseach Brian Cowen
Our hit-and-miss Taoiseach is preparing to go invisible when he closes his folder on Wednesday, by all accounts. Apart from sporting occasions and rained-out Tullamore fairs. Everything else has been ordered postponed until September at the earliest.
Government communications quality still at an all-time low. Little enough done, much more left to do.
Rating: 5 out of 10
- Finance Minister Brian Lenihan
Increasingly seen as the Real Taoiseach, insofar as he is the only one visibly taking decisions, this Brian also comes with the added bonus of speaking comprehensible English. Now completely on top of his brief, he has impressed with his acceleration on the learning curve.
Rating: 9 out of 10
- Tanaiste Mary Coughlan
Calamity Coughlan was at it again during the week when she claimed at a summer school that architects and engineers had yet to experience the "chill winds of recession".
Er, wrong again, Tanaiste -- they're in the dole queue behind the builders. Seems out of touch and disturbingly out of the power loop.
Rating: 4 out of 10
- Transport Minister Noel Dempsey
Embarked on a course to reduce the blood-alcohol rate from 80mgs to 50mgs by the end of the year. More penalty points rolled out, and road deaths down. Not bad.
Rating: 7 out of 10
- Health Minister Mary Harney
Politically moribund, the minister is waiting on a trolley to be gently shoved out the double-doors of Cabinet. Seems to have surrendered to the illness besetting the health system and lain down underneath it. Undoubtedly right on most things, but can't inspire these days.
Rating: 3 out of 10
- Environment Minister John Gormley
The leader of the Greens has found himself preoccupied, if not with his party, than at least with keeping Dan Boyle in check. Hasn't done much in Environment. Bringing in new planning standards, which are long overdue. Struck the right note on church obligations in wake of the Ryan report.
Rating: 6 out of 10
- Communications Minister Eamon Ryan
Promises of 30,000 green jobs and more are all moonshine, and we all know it. The voters rejected the misty-eyed green future in June. And we're still waiting for national broadband.
Rating: 4 out of 10
- Justice Minister Dermot Ahern
Has made no apology for making the anti-gangland fight his priority. Ahern's leadership hopes may be fading, but the party could do worse.
Well able to mix it in the Dail, and has a very welcome weakness for plain talking.
Rating: 8 out of 10
- Defence Minister Willie O'Dea
Willie has managed to keep a battalion in Chad, which is saying something in these hairshirt times. On the other side of the equation, failed to raise the Asgard II.
His big test is coming, with An Bord Snip recommendations on slimming the Defence Forces.
Rating: 6 out of 10
- Social Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin
In fairness to her, she didn't get contrary when abruptly turfed out of Education by Biffo. Has set about reforming the social welfare sector with a quiet diligence, and certainly has her work cut out as other people literally have theirs cut out and join the dole queues.
Rating: 7 out of 10
- Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe
The Batt man is busy robbin' the education sector, as the placards state. But Batt is implacable, and it's one of his nicest qualities.
Now bringing a new third-level funding plan to Cabinet after much dithering.
He has muddled through well so far, despite his need to wield the axe.
Rating: 6 out of 10
- Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith
He was certainly startled to find himself in the midst of the toxic pork crisis last December. But it's a bad sign when farmers seem to have written him off and are taking their protests over REPs elsewhere by barracking the Taoiseach directly.
Rating 4 out of 10
- Community Minister Eamon O Cuiv
The High Priest of Craggy Island -- as the Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister is known within the body politic. As well-meaning as Fr Ted, there is nonetheless a suspicion that O Cuiv is no de Valera (even though he is from the same gene pool).
His department was earmarked for abolition by An Bord Snip.
Rating: 1 out of 10
- Arts, Sport and Tourism Minister Martin Cullen
Martin hasn't boosted arts, hasn't improved tourism, and his presence at sporting events (often at Olympian expense) hasn't seen supercharged performance. He's also setting a bad example by being a smoker. Had a good Dail dig at Emmet Stagg recently.
Rating: 2 out of 10
- Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin
Foreign Affairs is often a backwater where the unwary can be led around via rope to the nose-ring by unctuous civil servants. Not Micheal Martin.
He organised the analysis of the first Lisbon defeat. His chances of being leader now hinge on how Lisbon II goes.
Rating: 9 out of 10
- Superjunior Barry Andrews
Bland, compassionless Children's minister who hasn't managed to persuade colleagues to grant a referendum on children's rights. Failed to exhibit any outrage on the Ryan report.
Rating: 1 out of 10
- Senan Molony
