It remains to be seen if any of the Carlow Kilkenny TDs will be among the portfolio holders when the Government formation is revealed later today.
Almost two months on from the General Election, the Dáil is due to sit from 11 o’clock this morning.
Micheál Martin is expected to be formally elected as Taoiseach at lunchtime when he’ll receive the seal of office from President Michael D Higgins after which he’ll begin to appoint Cabinet Ministers across the afternoon.
He has seven roles to offer his own party – Jack Chambers, Darragh O’Brien and Norma Foley are all expected to be returned, albeit heading up different areas to their previous ones.
With Charlie McConalogue, Mary Butler, James Browne, Dara Calleary, Thomas Byrne and Jim O’Callaghan all likely to be considered for the other roles
On the Fine Gael side Simon Harris, Helen McEntee and Paschal Donohoe will all return to Cabinet – with Patrick O’Donovan and Peter Burke also heavily favoured.
That leaves him two spaces for promotion to a full ministry – Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Martin Heydon, Hildegarde Naughton and possibly Alan Dillon are in the frame there.
Tipperary North / North West Kilkenny Deputy Michael Lowry is part of the Regional Independent Group and remains confident of getting speaking rights from the Opposition benches while there are hopes locally that Carlow Kilkenny will see one of the elected elevated.
Fianna Fáil took three of the five spots, the returning Jennifer Murnane O’Connor and John McGuinness joined by former Kilkenny councillor Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, while Fine Gael newbie Catherine Callaghan held onto the seat vacated by John Paul Phelan who’d decided to not contest.
It’s thought a Junior ministerial role will come to our area, but it’ll be another week before the ministers of state will be revealed.
KCLR News’ Edwina Grace has been catching up with Bauer Media Political Correspondent Seán Dafoe who hopped off a plane from Washington to head for Leinster House this morning;
