Sources close to the South Dublin TD, who ruled herself out of a ministry in 2002 for personal reasons, said she is available to return to government, if asked.
O’Donnell also turned down an opportunity to run for the PDs in the European elections.
It is understood that O’Donnell has not discussed her position with Mary Harney, the tanaiste and leader of the PDs, but she has let it be known within the party that she is ready to leave the back benches.
The taoiseach is due to announce his new cabinet on September 29, and his junior ministers a day or so later.Some observers believe that O’Donnell could be signalling her interest in the party leadership, should Harney decide to step down.
O’Donnell, Michael McDowell, the justice minister, and Tom Parlon, the Office of Public Works minister, are likely contenders if Harney were to resign in the future. McDowell is favourite for the job, but O’Donnell could not be ruled out.
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Her possible return to government would depend on a reshuffle of the PD ministers and junior ministers. One senior party source said it was unlikely that there would be a reshuffle in the PD personnel in government. He said the tanaiste was happy with her line-up and would be slow to change it. Some sources had suggested that Tim O’Malley, the junior minister for health, may be vulnerable but others denied this.
O’Donnell’s decision not to run in the European elections was not taken well by the party organisation and may have damaged her politically. The party ended up not fielding a candidate for Europe.
She was the junior foreign affairs minister in the last government.
In Fianna Fail, the taoiseach is expected to conduct an extensive reshuffle of his junior ministerial ranks, while he is likely to make three personnel changes among his senior cabinet. The appetite for change among backbenchers in the wake of the heavy losses in June’s local election could prompt Bertie Ahern to demote four or five serving ministers of state to the back benches.
Several Fianna Fail sources are predicting that Sile de Valera, the former arts and gaeltacht minister, could be dropped, while Tony Killeen, her constituency colleague from Clare and chairman of the Oireachtas education committee could be on the way up.
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Speculation is also focusing on Frank Fahey of Galway West and Jim McDaid of Donegal North East, who are both former ministers. Few would question their ability or experience, but neither man is politically close to the taoiseach, and both could be tarred by Fianna Fail’s failure to win two seats in the northwest European constituency, formerly Connacht Ulster, in June.
The Fianna Fail leadership believed a party ticket containing the two junior ministers constituted their best chance of taking two of the three seats. But Fahey was beaten for a nomination by Sean O Neachtain, the sitting MEP, and McDaid lost to O Neachtain in the actual poll.
Other junior ministers who could lose out because of their low profile or low activity levels may include Noel Treacy at agriculture, John Browne and Pat “The Cope” Gallagher.