ENDA KENNY’S CABINET lost its first member yesterday when Labour’s Willie Penrose stepped down as the junior minister for housing.
Penrose – who attended Cabinet as a so-called “super-junior” minister – also quit the Labour parliamentary party, protesting at the decision to close the Columb Barracks in Mullingar which is considered vital to the town’s economy.
This morning Pat Rabbitte described Penrose as “part of the Labour family” and hoped that the Longford-Westmeath TD would be back within the party’s Dáil ranks in future.
The resignation has once again raised the issue of politicians having a local mandate, but national responsibility. Penrose was elected by the people of Longford-Westmeath – but in cabinet was responsible for national decisions.
Today we ask: was Willie Penrose right to put the interests of his constituency ahead of his responsibility to making tough decisions at the Cabinet table?
Was Willie Penrose right to resign?
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