Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I sincerely congratulate Deputies Pat Carey and Killeen, people who are well fit to be in the Government, and their families on this great occasion of their elevation to the Cabinet. I also congratulate my constituency colleague, Deputy White of the Green Party, and Deputy Connick, who lives in County Kilkenny but represents County Wexford and to whom we refer as the sixth Deputy from Carlow-Kilkenny, on their elevation to the rank of Ministers of State. They deserve a role in whatever is left of the Government's term of office.

The Taoiseach and I know that he carried out a little reshuffle to keep the show on the road for another while. The mention of reconfiguration was nothing more than spin. There will be no proper changes in Departments, only tinkering around the edges. The Taoiseach's conservative and safe approach won out again in this so-called Cabinet reshuffle. It is business as usual, in that the same people will be in charge of the country for the purpose of deciding policy for the next while.

This is my opportunity to ask about the main talking point. Why did the Taoiseach cave into the Green Party again and give it a second Minister of State? Fianna Fáil's backbenchers, not one of whom is to be seen, are seething with anger about this. The political imperative was survival.

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