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FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 DUBLIN 000260 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR FAS - MCSHERRY 
USDA FOR FAS/OCRA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ECON EI
SUBJECT: BRIAN COWEN BECOMES PRIME MINISTER OF IRELAND; 
CABINET CHANGES BROADER THAN EXPECTED 
 
REF: DUBLIN 248 
 
DUBLIN 00000260  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Summary:  Brian Cowen Becomes Prime Minister 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) During the afternoon of May 7, the lower house of 
the Irish Parliament (Dail) elected Fianna Fail leader Brian 
Cowen as Prime Minister (Taoiseach) of Ireland (reftel). 
Following his investiture by Irish President Mary McAleese, 
Cowen announced that his first task would be to ensure 
ratification of the EU Lisbon Treaty.  Cowen's first act as 
Prime Minister, however, was to name a new government.  While 
Cowen's Cabinet changes were more extensive than expected, 
members of the previous Cabinet have been largely shuffled 
around rather than moved out.  Fianna Fail's coalition 
partnership remains solid; all coalition Ministers were 
retained.  While there will inevitably be some tweaks to 
Irish Government policy, we do not expect substantive change. 
 A summary of Cowen's Cabinet reshuffle follows.  End summary. 
 
------------------------- 
Brian Lenihan - Moving Up 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Brian Lenihan, Fianna Fail, has been appointed 
Minister for Finance.  Formerly Minister for Justice, 
Equality and Law Reform (but holding a Cabinet-level 
portfolio for less than a year), Lenihan's promotion to the 
portfolio (vacated by Prime Minister Cowen) over more 
established rivals Micheal Martin and Dermot Ahern was 
something of a surprise.  The Finance Minister position is 
widely regarded as the second most powerful portfolio in the 
Cabinet, after the Prime Minister.  Lenihan has been a strong 
ally of Cowen.  He was the first Minister to rule himself out 
as a contender for leadership of Fianna Fail when former 
Prime Minister Bertie Ahern announced his resignation in 
April 2008. 
 
¶3.  (U) Lenihan represents the Dublin West constituency. 
Following the general election in 2002, Lenihan was appointed 
Minister of State, with special responsibility for Children, 
at the Department of Health and Children, the Department of 
Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and the Department of 
Education and Science.  He was appointed Minister for 
Justice, Equality and Law Reform by former Prime Minister 
Bertie Ahern in June 2007.  Lenihan is a member of an Irish 
political dynasty.  His father, Brian Lenihan, was a former 
Deputy Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister for over 25 years. 
 His aunt is Mary O'Rourke, a Member of the Dail for 20 years 
and former leader of the Irish Senate.  His brother, Conor, 
is also a Junior Minister.  Lenihan performed strongly and 
calmly in the difficult position of Minister for Justice, 
Equality and Law Reform.  Colleagues view him as an 
authoritative person who is a potential future leader of 
Fianna Fail. 
 
------------------------- 
Mary Coughlan - Moving Up 
------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) Mary Coughlan, Deputy Prime Minister (Tanaiste) and 
Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment; Fianna Fail. 
Formerly Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 
Coughlan was elevated to the number two political slot and 
given a more powerful Department.  She is a confidant of 
Cowen and the first woman Deputy Prime Minister from Fianna 
Fail. 
 
¶5.  (U) Coughlan has been a member of the Dail since 1987; at 
21 years of age when she was first elected, she was the 
Dail's youngest ever member.  Representing Donegal Southwest, 
a border constituency on the far western seaboard, and as a 
young mother, Coughlin's political interests include 
agriculture and marine matters, Northern Ireland, the Irish 
language, and child-care issues.  A social worker before 
entering politics, Coughlan won the Dail seat once held by 
her father, Cathal, and late uncle, Clement.  She is regarded 
as politically cautious and conservative on social issues. 
Coughlan participated in a USG International Visitor 
Leadership Program on U.S. Presidential elections in 1988. 
 
------------------------ 
Batt O'Keefe - Moving Up 
------------------------ 
 
 
DUBLIN 00000260  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶6.  (U) Batt O'Keefe, Minister for Education and Science; 
Fianna Fail.  Formerly Junior Minister for Housing, Urban 
Renewal and Developing Areas in the Department of 
Environment, Heritage and Local Government, O'Keefe has risen 
to a full cabinet position, perhaps the biggest surprise of 
the Cabinet reshuffle. 
 
¶7.  (U) Representing the Cork Northwest constituency, O'Keefe 
served in the Dail from 1987-1989 and 1992-present.  Before 
becoming involved in politics, he was a lecturer at the Cork 
Institute of Technology.  He is the holder of three Munster 
Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) medals with Cork at Under 
21, Junior, and Senior level.  He was also a Cork 
Intermediate Handball Champion. 
 
------------------------- 
Brendan Smith - Moving Up 
------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Brendan Smith, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries 
and Food; Fianna Fail.  Formerly Junior Minister for Children 
and Youth Affairs in the Department of Health and Children, 
Smith has risen to a full cabinet position.  His appointment 
to Cabinet was widely expected. 
 
¶9.  (U) Representing the Caven-Monaghan constituency, a 
border area, Smith was first elected to the Dail in 1992, 
replacing the former Deputy Prime Minister John Wilson.  He 
has served as Government Whip on the Joint Committee on 
Foreign Affairs and acted as Co-Chairman of the British-Irish 
Inter-Parliamentary Body. 
 
--------------------- 
Pat Carey - Moving Up 
--------------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) Pat Carey, Chief Whip; Fianna Fail.  Formerly Junior 
Minister for Drugs Strategy and Community Affairs in the 
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht, Carey has been 
elevated to a more senior position, which carries with it a 
seat, though not a vote, in Cabinet meetings. 
 
¶11.  (U) Representing the Dublin Northwest constituency, 
Carey was fist elected to the Dail in 1997.  He was formerly 
an elementary school teacher and vice-principal.  Despite 
being a backbencher for much of his career, Carey has had a 
high profile and has a strong media persona.  He was a member 
of a delegation from the Foreign Affairs Committee that 
visited Israel and Palestine in January 2005.  During a 
meeting of the Human Rights sub-committee on March 9, 2006, 
he said of the visit, "To my dying day, nothing will replace 
the horror I felt during our visit to areas of Palestine." 
 
------------------------- 
Barry Andrews - Moving Up 
------------------------- 
 
¶12.  (U) Barry Andrews, Minister of State for Children and 
Youth Affairs in the Department of Heath and Children; Fianna 
Fail.  Plucked from the backbench, the selection of Andrews 
came as a surprise to many.  He will have a seat, though not 
a vote, in Cabinet meetings. 
 
¶13.  (U) Representing the Dun Laoghaire constituency, Andrews 
was first elected to the Dail in 2002.  He is the son of 
David Andrews, who was a Member of the Dail from 1965-2002 
and Minister of Foreign Affairs twice in the 1990s.  His 
cousin, Chris Andrews, is also a Member of the Dail.  Andrews 
was formerly a barrister and teacher. 
 
-------------------------- 
Michael Martin - Moving Up 
-------------------------- 
 
¶14.  (U) Michael Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Fianna 
Fail.  Formerly Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and 
Employment, Martin has moved up a notch, though some 
observers see this as a sideways move.  Since the May 2007 
general election, Martin is said to have aligned himself 
closely with Cowen.  Cowen reportedly sees Martin and new 
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan as his "go to" guys. 
Martin will lead government efforts on the Lisbon Treaty 
referendum.  Following that, his biggest challenge will be to 
make use his position as Foreign Minister to demonstrate his 
political gravitas. 
 
 
DUBLIN 00000260  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶15.  (U) Representing the Cork South-Central constituency in 
the Dail since 1989, Martin is regarded as a prospective 
future Prime Minister.  He held the post of Minister for 
Health and Children from January 2000 to September 2004 
before serving as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and 
Employment.  In 2004, he received international acclaim for 
pushing through Ireland's ban on smoking in all enclosed 
spaces, including pubs.  In 2005, however, he was criticized 
for failing to stop the imposition of illegal nursing home 
charges on the elderly while he was Health Minister.  As 
Minister for Education from 1997-2000, Martin was credited 
with introducing key education reforms.  A former secondary 
school teacher, he is highly regarded on all sides of the 
Dai1. 
 
------------------------------ 
Dermot Ahern - Moving Sideways 
------------------------------ 
 
¶16.  (U) Dermot Ahern, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law 
Reform; Fianna Fail.  Formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs, 
this move is definitely sideways, though to a powerful 
Department.  Many observers had expected Ahern to move from 
Foreign Affairs after holding that position almost four years 
(exceeding the normal tenure for an Irish Foreign Minister). 
Closely aligned with Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (no 
relation), Ahern has made no secret of his ambition to become 
Prime Minister. 
 
¶17.  (U) Representing the Louth constituency, Ahern is 
regarded as a prospective future Prime Minister.  He has 
served in numerous senior government positions and was 
regarded as an effective and high-profile Foreign Affairs 
Minister.  Ahern has played a dominant role in Northern 
Ireland affairs; his upbringing in a border county (Louth) 
giving him insights into the peace process.  In November 
2004, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed 
Ahem as the European envoy to facilitate an overall UN reform 
package.  In this capacity Ahem met with the foreign 
ministers of 45 countries.  He has been outspoken on the 
Irish policy of Active Neutrality - a non-aligned Ireland 
acting as a bridge between the developed and developing world 
) and has stepped forward as a world leader in international 
conflicts and disasters.  Ahern participated in a USG 
International Visitor Leadership Program for young European 
leaders in 1989. 
 
¶18.  (SBU) Comment:  At the time of former Prime Minister 
Bertie Ahern's resignation, Micheal Martin and Dermot Ahern 
were regarded as Cowen's two main rivals for leadership of 
Fianna Fail.  Cowen chose neither for the powerful Department 
of Finance position.  End comment. 
 
--------- 
No Change 
--------- 
 
¶19.  (U) Eamon Ryan, Minister for Communications, Energy and 
Natural Resources; Green Party; representing the Dublin South 
constituency. 
 
¶20.  (U) John Gormley, Minister for Environment, Heritage and 
Local Government; Green Party; representing the Dublin 
Southeast constituency. 
 
¶21.  (U) Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children; 
Progressive Democrats; representing the Dublin Mid-West 
constituency.  Harney participated in a USG International 
Visitor Leadership Program on an individual program in 1985. 
 
¶22.  (U) Eamon O Cuiv, Minister for Community, Rural and 
Gaeltacht Affairs; Fianna Fail; representing the Galway West 
constituency. 
 
¶23.  (U) Willie O'Dea, Minister for Defence; Fianna Fail; 
representing the Limerick East constituency. 
 
¶24.  (U) Noel Dempsey, Minister for Transport and the Marine; 
Fianna Fail; representing the Meath West constituency. 
 
¶25.  (U) Trevor Sargent, Minister of State for Agriculture; 
Green Party; representing the Dublin North constituency. 
 
¶26.  (U) Dick Roche, Minister of State for European Affairs; 
Fianna Fail; representing the Wicklow constituency.  Roche 
will be instrumental in the campaign to pass the referendum 
 
DUBLIN 00000260  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
on the EU Lisbon Treaty. 
 
------------------ 
Moving Down or Out 
------------------ 
 
¶27.  (U) Mary Hanafin, Minister for Social and Family 
Affairs; Fianna Fail; representing the Dun Laoghaire 
constituency.  Formerly Minister for Education and Science, 
this appointment to a less powerful and prestigious 
Department is widely seen as Cowen's biggest demotion. 
Hanafin immediately, staunchly and publicly declared that she 
was happy with the change. 
 
¶28.  (U) Martin Cullen, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism; 
Fianna Fail; representing the Waterford constituency. 
Formerly, Minister for Social and Family Affairs, the move to 
a less powerful and prestigious Department is widely seen as 
a demotion.  Cullen has made no public comment on his new 
appointment. 
 
¶29.  (U) Seamus Brennan; Fianna Fail; representing the Dublin 
South constituency.  Brennan, who announced on May 7 that he 
would retire from his Ministerial appointment for health and 
family reasons, is widely viewed as having been forced out. 
He becomes a backbencher. 
 
¶30.  (U) Tom Kitt; Fianna Fail; representing the Dublin South 
constituency.  Formerly the Chief Whip, Kitt, in a surprise 
move, is now out of the Cabinet and becomes a backbencher. 
Kitt reportedly turned down an offer of a junior ministerial 
appointment and immediately announced that he will not run 
for the Dail again in the next general election, scheduled 
for 2011. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶31.  (SBU) While Cowen's Cabinet changes were more extensive 
than expected, the faces in the Cabinet haven't changed all 
that much.  Potential future Fianna Fail leaders - Micheal 
Martin, Dermot Ahern, Brian Lenihan, and Mary Coughlan - all 
retained powerful Departments.  It is noteworthy that Cowen 
elevated Mary Coughlan to become the most powerful female 
politician in Ireland.  It is also worthy of note that the 
Cabinet portfolios of Fianna Fail's indispensable Green Party 
and Progressive Democrats coalition partners - Mary Harney, 
Eamon Ryan, and John Gormley - went untouched, in part, no 
doubt, because of Cowen,s role as architect of the original 
Fianna Fail/Green/Progressive Democrats coalition line-up 
last spring.  It was clear that Cowen made the appointments 
with an eye to regional distribution.  In fact, one political 
commentator declared that the "Culchies" (an Irish term 
meaning "country bumpkin" or "proud of my roots" depending on 
where one calls home) had come to town.  However, there could 
be storm clouds on the distant horizon - if Kitt and Brennan 
both leave government in 2011, Fianna Fail will have lost two 
party members who have anchored the party's success in the 
highly influential Dublin South constituency for 25 years. 
While there will inevitably be some tweaks to Irish 
Government policy in coming days, we do not expect 
substantive change. 
FOLEY