Ireland's new government gets down to work

Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore have kept their promise and got straight to work as Coalition partners in the new Irish government.

Fine Gael leader Kenny and Labor Party boss Gilmore are engaged in talks to finalize their Cabinet ahead of Wednesday’s first meeting of the new Parliament.

Kenny will lead the country as Prime Minister after agreement on the formation of the new government was reached on Sunday and endorsed by both parties.

Gilmore will assume the role of Deputy Prime Minister and is also expected to be appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in the 31st Irish government.

In a major restructure of government procedures, both parties will now have a senior Minister in a new look Department of Finance.

Fine Gael, likely to be represented by Michael Noonan, will handle responsibility for budget, taxation and banking reforms while Labor, probably under Joan Burton, will be responsible for public expenditure and public sector reform.

Kenny’s Fine Gael party is also expected to get enterprise and employment and health; Labor will get foreign affairs, social protection and education.

Those tipped for cabinet from Fine Gael side include Richard Bruton, Phil Hogan, Alan Shatter, James Reilly, Frances Fitzgerald, Simon Coveney, Leo Varadkar and Jimmy Deenihan.

Labor big wigs Brendan Howlin, Pat Rabbitte and Joan Burton, are set to join Gilmore in the cabinet with Ruairí Quinn, Róisín Shortall and Jan O’Sullivan in contention for the final post.

A 64 page document entitled ‘Towards Recovery: Programme for a National Government’ was approved by delegates to special Fine Gael and Labor party meetings on Sunday.

“It is not a Fine Gael document. It is not a Labor document. This is a programme for government document that we have agreed on its contents,” said Kenny.