Irish premier doubles down on nomination for Michael McGrath as EU Commissioner

Irish premier Simon Harris has doubled down on nominating former minister Michael McGrath to be Ireland’s EU Commissioner, despite an EU request for two names.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will formally ask countries to put the names of a man and a woman forward to help her form a gender-balanced team of Commissioners.

Mr McGrath stepped down as Finance Minister several weeks ago in order to become Ireland’s EU Commissioner nominee.

The nomination to become Ireland’s next EU Commissioner was the choice of the Fianna Fail party under the terms of an agreement between the three parties forming Ireland’s coalition Government.

Speaking in Paris, Mr Harris said it would be “odd” and “unfair” to put two names forward after proposing a senior politician who had stepped down from Cabinet to focus on the role.

The Taoiseach said he also did not believe that nominating just one person would affect Ireland’s chances of getting an important portfolio.

“I know President von der Leyen to be a very serious, a very competent and a fair politician,” Mr Harris said, whose Fine Gael party is part of Ms von der Leyen’s EPP political group.

“I know from my conversations with her that she will assess the suitability of commissioners for portfolios based on their background, based on their CV, based on interviews that she will carry out.”

Ireland’s outgoing EU Commissioner, Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness, had described a “thorough” interview process through which it is decided what portfolio each candidate is given.

Mr Harris said: “Michael McGrath was in Brussels this week, I spoke to Michael last weekend and I know he’s taking that process extremely seriously in terms of preparing and engaging.

“As the Taoiseach of Ireland, I’m satisfied that we’ve sent a politician of substance in Michael McGrath.

“Yes, President von der Leyen has asked for two names, and she did the last time as well, and I suppose we’ve respectfully said to her that Ireland has made a decision, in line with the treaties, as is our right, as to the Commission candidate we wish to send forward.

“On other occasions in the past, we’ve sent one name and the name has been a woman. But we’ve had to make an assessment as to who we believe is the best commissioner to send from Ireland.

“That person, Michael McGrath, has had to step down from Cabinet. That’s a pretty profound thing for him to have to do.

“I think it would be an unfair thing for him to have to do and then tell him he has a 50-50 chance of getting a roll at the end of it. So I think there’s at the very least an understanding of this at European level.”

He added: “Ireland has played its part in terms of gender equality and the important issues around that and will continue to.

“On this occasion, though, we have a particular set of circumstances that are important. Firstly, we have a coalition Government – this is the politics of Ireland that’s important people understand at a European level – and under that coalition Government, the nominee came from Fianna Fail, it’s a Government nominee, I fully support Michael McGrath.

“And then the second thing to remember is that Michael McGrath was one of the most senior politicians in Ireland, he was the Minister for Finance, it was important that he would have his full concentration on preparing for the European Commission role and have a Minister for Finance who’s preparing fully for the budget.

“So therefore, the fact that he’s stepped down from Cabinet, I think it would seem odd that you would send more than one name considering those pretty particular set of circumstances.”