Sinn Féin is about to embark upon a reshuffle as Conor Murphy departs as economy minister for a new role in Seanad Éireann.
Murphy is, without a doubt, a loss to the ministerial team in the executive. Not many have lasted as long in office as he has.
However, his departure poses a challenge and an opportunity for the Sinn Féin leadership to refresh and reshape their ministerial line-up.
The party is fortunate in the circumstances in which it faces this reshuffle. Murphy has not suddenly resigned or had to go under a cloud.
This allows the leadership to properly think through its options and craft a team to complete the rest of the assembly mandate.
There is a temptation to simply replace Murphy as the cleanest way of doing things.
Still, Sinn Féin might be better served by using this moment to rejig its wider team of ministers, promoting some people and moving others.
Let’s start with who should go into the economy department.
Getting this department was critical for Sinn Féin. They were clear, even when the executive was down, that this would be their first pick and delivering in this area would be a priority.
Given the issues around rebalancing the economy and foreign direct investment, it is unlikely that they would take a punt on someone untested.
In essence, the party needs a grafter who understands that mastering a policy brief matters more than grabbing headlines.
The most natural fit for this would be moving Caoimhe Archibald in here.
In finance, Caoimhe has performed well and has become one of Sinn Féin’s safest pairs of hands. The draft budget has been agreed upon, which makes a move less disruptive.
Moving to economy brings someone in who has experience in an economic portfolio and, strategically, having an MLA from the north west sends an important signal.
Plus, Archibald served as the chair of the economy committee during the previous mandate.
Sinn Féin must show progress on big-ticket items such as expanding Magee and improving investment numbers outside Belfast by the next assembly election in 2027.
That is why they need someone with experience and a reputation for competence in this important department.
Shifting Archibald creates a vacancy in finance, which could be filled by either moving John O’Dowd from infrastructure or promoting someone from the back benches into the executive.
O’Dowd has had a difficult time in infrastructure, with several thorny issues plaguing his tenure in office.
However, unlike moving Archibald, the challenge here for Sinn Féin is whether moving O’Dowd creates more problems than it solves.
They need someone in this portfolio who cannot only handle difficult issues but also go out and defend them in the media.
O’Dowd can do this, but it is a tough sell to see who else in Sinn Féin’s assembly ranks could follow suit.
Other potential picks for the new minister could be Deirdre Hargey, who currently sits on the finance committee. She previously served as communities minister and replaced Conor Murphy for a brief period last year.
Another former minister on the back benches who could step in is Carál Ní Chuilín. Also worth mentioning are Liz Kimmons, the chair of the health committee, and Declan Kearney, a junior minister from 2020-22.
Whoever gets picked for ministerial office, Sinn Féin should use this moment to consider a broader team reshuffle.
There will not be a better time to do it, and moving some of their top talent will allow them to refresh their team a year into this executive.
All of their departments matter, but getting Murphy’s replacement right is critical in terms of prominence.
After making such a big push about getting the economy department, the last thing they need is to drop the ball there.
A broader reshuffle mitigates the risk of problems in economy and allows for a refresh of the wider team.
Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald should not fear a bigger reshuffle in a few weeks.