Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

In his speech the Taoiseach stated:

There will be a particular opportunity at the mid-term review of the Government's programme to consider further the allocation of ministerial responsibilities. These considerations will also be reflected in the names I will propose next week to the Government for appointment as Ministers of State.

I do not know whether this is a warning to the Cabinet or a carrot to those aspiring to be in the next Cabinet, but the Taoiseach has done it again. He has held out a little olive branch to keep those like Deputy O'Flynn on side in the months ahead.

It is ironic that Ministers spent the past year using terms such as "slump coalition" and "dolly mixture government", but the current term is "broadly based government", as used by the Ministers, Deputies Cowen and Brennan.

See this speech in context