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President will be in Turkey when cabinet reshuffle is due
14 March 2010 By Pat Leahy and Niamh Connolly
The President , Ma ry McAleese, will be out of the country at the time of Brian Cowen’s cabinet reshuffle, which is expected to take place around March 23.
The reshuffle is scheduled to take place after government ministers return from their St Patrick’s Day trips and before the Green Party conference, which takes place the following weekend. The Greens insist that the reshuffle must take place before the conference.
This means that it is due to happen when the President is on an official visit to Turkey, which begins on Monday week, March 22, and lasts until March 26. In her absence, the Presidential Commission would have to be summoned to appoint the new ministers.
The Constitution provides for the summoning of the Presidential Commission, which is comprised of the Chief Justice, the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil and the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad. However, it is a rarely-used constitutional device.
A spokeswoman for Aras an Uachtaráin confirmed that McAleese was scheduled to go on the five-day trip to Turkey from March 22 to 26. A spokeswoman said the Aras had not been made aware by the government of a date for a cabinet reshuffle. ‘‘We would not comment on a cabinet reshuffle we have not been informed about," said the spokeswoman.
Under the Constitution, the President appoints ministers on the advice of the Taoiseach and with the previous approval of the Dáil.
Government sources have been signalling Tuesday week, March 23, as the date for Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s announcement to fill the cabinet seats vacated by Willie O’Dea and Martin Cullen.
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