Speculation surrounds Meath"s political heavyweights and Europe job

The contest to succeed Charlie McCreevy as Ireland"s next European Commissioner could be between Meath"s two most senior politicians, according to ongoing media speculation. For many months, the name of Transport Minister and Trim TD Noel Dempsey has been one of two senior Government ministers mentioned as a possible replacement for the Kildare man at the Commission table. The former Progressive Democrat leader, Mary Harney, is the second name mooted. Mr McCreevy has already indicated he will not seek a second term. Last weekend, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny suggested that one of his predecessors as party leader, John Bruton, would make an ideal candidate. Shortly after the last election, Dublin political correspondent Stephen Collins was one of the first to report the possibility of Mr Dempsey going to Brussels as successor to Charlie McCreevy, whose term finishes in June. The Transport Minister, who in the past had been suggested as a possible successor to Bertie Ahern, has held a number of cabinet positions since Fianna Fail-led governments came to power in 1997. These include environment, education, communications and transport. Previously, he was Fianna Fail chief whip and was famously one of the 'gang of four" who put down a vote of no confidence in Charles Haughey"s leadership in 1991. The appointment of Dempsey, Harney or any other senior Government figure may not be a fancied option for Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who won"t want to create a by-election scenario in the present economic and political climate. The death of former minister Seamus Brennan, and of independent TD Tony Gregory at the weekend, will now mean two by-elections in Dublin, one of them a Fianna Fail seat. However, an appointment to Europe would also allow Mr Cowen make a cabinet reshuffle, particularly if the local and European elections in June produce negative results for his party. However, also frowned upon would be the handing of the plum European job to an opposition representative, as Charlie Haughey did to Fine Gael"s Dick Burke in the 1980s. Enda Kenny said at the weekend he will recommend John Bruton as the candidate as his term is Washington as European Union Ambassador to the United States would soon be complete. Mr Bruton is an eminently and exceptionally qualified person for this post, Mr Kenny said, and his appointment would guarantee a priority commissionership and keep Ireland at the heart of Europe. And, Mr Kenny believes, there is no-one else in the cabinet in the same league as Mr Bruton. However, he admitted he hadn"t discussed the issue with Mr Bruton. John Bruton has been European Union Ambassador to Washington since 2004, and was Taoiseach of the Fine Gael-led Rainbow Coalition in the mid-1990s, during which time he held the rotating post of President of the European Union. His departure to Washington led to the 2005 by-election battle between eventual victor Shane McEntee of Fine Gael and Cllr Shane Cassells of Fianna Fail. If Mr Dempsey was to be appointed to Brussels, it would again create a by-election scenario in Meath, this time in the new constituency of Meath West. Mr Dempsey was first elected to Dail Eireann in 1987 and now shares the Meath West constituency with his party colleague Johnny Brady and Fine Gael"s Damien English.