Cowen Stamps His Authority

The re-shuffle is done and Brian Cowen, new Taoiseach, has made the position his own. On looking at the new ministers its clear he values Mary Harney's position as Minister for Health, keeping her there, despite deep unpopularity amongst the public, due to the health crisis. Cowen obvioulsy feels no-one else will do a better job, so better the devil you know in this case. Mary Coughlan gets the passenger seat as Tanaiste and Employment/Enterprise Minister. A vital role, given the haemorrage of manufacturing positions to the Far East and Eastern Europe. She has to stem that flow and get some jobs back before unemployment reaches 200,000, which it is on the verge of doing.Given that corporation tax may be harmonised sometime in the future (those in government will argue otherwise, but the Lisbon Treaty is a major stepping stone in that direction) she will have a tough job there. Interestingly, since the farmer's lobby looks like voting No in the upcoming referendum on the EU Constitution, Cowen has installed Brendan Smith in that post, to deal with this issue. Brian Lenihan gets Finance, and if ever there was a Taoiseach-in-waiting, it is him. However, it would be a monumental effort to get Fianna Fail back for a 4th consectutive term in 4 years time or so. By then, who knows how bad things will be?

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