Fionnán Sheahan: The Simon Harris honeymoon ends if new Taoiseach bottles cabinet move for Helen McEntee

Fine Gael leader has enjoyed a bloodless coup so far but sticking with Justice Minister is a gamble

New Taoiseach Simon Harris addressing party members at the Sheraton Athlone. Photo: RollingNews.ie

Fionnán Sheahan

Helen McEntee was so confident of keeping her job she was even cracking jokes about it at the Fine Gael ard fheis. MC-ing the leaders’ address session before a full house of around 1,122 party representatives, grassroots members and invited guests, the Justice Minister pointed to racing roots in Co Meath and said she “got good odds” on retaining her place in the Cabinet.

Now, there was never a prospect of her ever being dropped from the Cabinet completely but there was a bit of money being laid on her being moved out of the Department of Justice in the early days of the Simon Harris regime as Fine Gael leader.