US embassy cable - 04DUBLIN1213

UNCLAS DUBLIN 001213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EFIN, EUN 
SUBJECT: IRELAND HAILS MCCREEVY'S COMMISSION APPOINTMENT 
 
REF: DUBLIN 911 
 
1.  Irish political and business circles hailed Finance 
Minister Charlie McCreevy's August 12 appointment as EU 
Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, one of the 
Commission's premier economic portfolios.  The post is widely 
viewed as a reward for Ireland's successful turn in the EU 
Presidency this past year.  Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who 
in July had proposed McCreevy for the Commission, expressed 
"delight" with the appointment in August 12 press comments. 
Ahern noted that McCreevy "had overseen and managed 
unprecedented growth in Ireland for the past seven years as 
Finance Minister" and "had the political expertise and 
experience ... to deliver tangible benefits to all EU 
citizens."  Ireland's opposition parties, including Fine 
Gael, Labor, the Greens, and Sinn Fein, commended McCreevy's 
qualifications for the Commission, with Labor urging him to 
"promote the interests of the consumers and workers of 
Europe, rather than simply big business."  Financial Services 
Ireland, one of several business groups to laud McCreevy's 
appointment, noted that his task as Commissioner to expand 
the EU's internal market into financial services would 
benefit Ireland's small, open economy.  McCreevy's move to 
the Commission clears the way for a Cabinet shuffle in 
September, which PM Ahern promised after his party, Fianna 
Fail (the Irish Parliament's majority party, which currently 
maintains a ruling coalition with the Progressive Democrats) 
fared poorly in June 11 local and European Parliament 
elections (reftel). 
 
--------------------------------- 
McCreevy's Biographic Information 
--------------------------------- 
 
2.  McCreevy has a reserved persona and is an accountant by 
training.  He entered the Irish Parliament (the Dail) in 1977 
as Fianna Fail representative for the Kildare North 
constituency and made his mark as a strident opponent of then 
Prime Minister Charles Haughey.  In 1992, he joined the 
Cabinet as Minister for Social Welfare and then worked 
briefly as Minister for Tourism and Trade before serving as 
Fianna Fail's front-bench spokesman on finance in 1995. 
McCreevy became Finance Minister in 1997 on the heels of 
Bertie Ahern's election as prime minister.  In seven years at 
Finance, he advocated low taxation, strict fiscal discipline, 
increased competition, open trade and investment, and an 
overall liberal, market-led approach to public policy.  While 
he is credited with overseeing Ireland's emergence as the 
"Celtic Tiger," his opponents say that his tight management 
of public finances during the downturn that followed the 
dotcom crash came at the expense of public services.  He has 
a close friendship with both PM Ahern and Deputy 
PM/Progressive Democrat party leader Mary Harney and is 
reputedly on excellent terms with incoming Commission 
President Barroso. 
KENNY