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Former Agriculture Minister Barry Cowen has turned down a spokesperson position offered by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
r Martin has appointed several alternate delegates as spokespersons in areas where Fianna Fáil does not have a portfolio.
However, some TDs in the party have downplayed the importance of roles. A Fianna Fáil TD who had not received a call from the Taoiseach and was not expecting one, texted: “You can hold on …”
Fianna Fáil’s leader offered Cowen a role in climate action, but the former minister turned down the position.
The Taoiseach fired Offaly TD three weeks into the government’s tenure following a controversy over a drunk driving offense in 2016.
Mayo TD Dara Calleary, who briefly succeeded Mr. Cowen in the Department of Agriculture, has accepted the role of spokesperson for Fianna Fáil on social protection.
Calleary resigned from his ministry after attending the controversial Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden, Co Galway, over the summer.
Martin appointed Jim O’Callaghan as the party’s justice spokesman. O’Callaghan turned down an offer from a lower ministry when the government was formed.
Dún Laoghaire TD Cormac Devlin will be the Dublin spokesperson. Mr. Devlin will also be the deputy whip of the match, which is a position that comes with an allowance of € 9,500.
Cavan-Monaghan TD Niamh Smyth will handle media, culture, tourism and sport, Cork East TD James O’Connor will be the transportation spokesperson, and Longford-Westmeath Joe Flaherty will handle rural and community development.
TD Paul McAuliffe of North West Dublin oversees local government, electoral reform and the parliamentary party liaison for Fianna Fáil councilors.
Sligo-Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry will take on the role of Spokesperson for Higher Education, while James Lawless will be responsible for media, networking and digital policy.
Cork North Central TD Pádraig O’Sullivan gets a parallel special education portfolio, and Dublin South West TD John Lahart gets equality and integration.
Several TDs assigned the role of party spokesmen privately rejected the initiative, with one describing it as “a waste of space” and saying they told the Taoiseach: “I said, ‘Look, I’ll do it, but it does not mean anything.'”
A second TD, who is also now a party spokesman, said: “My main focus will be the committee. This is a brilliant bauble, not something to get terribly excited about. But I guess it’s better to get the call than not get it.
Another TD from the match, who had not received a call from the Taoiseach and was not expecting one, sent a text message: “You can delay …”
However, other TDs welcomed the move. Flaherty, who is the party’s new community development spokesperson, said he was “very happy.”
“It is a great honor to be asked by An Taoiseach to perform any role. Community development is a key pillar in this Government’s plans and Co Longford is leading the way in terms of development and regeneration,” he said.
Limerick TD Willie O’Dea has been appointed Finance Spokesperson, which means he will follow Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.
Dublin Bay North TD Seán Haughey has been given the responsibility to follow the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, while former Vice President Eamon Ó Cuiv will be the spokesperson for Rural Affairs.
On the other hand, Carlow-Kilkenny TD Jennifer Murnane O’Connor will be spokesperson for Children and Cork North-West TD Aindrias Moynihan has been in charge of public health.
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