Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has said there will be changes in the Labour Party's front bench if she is appointed leader.

Ms Burton, who declared her interest in the role last Wednesday, said she was “really committed to social protection”, but didn’t want to be presumptuous.

“That is a decision that will be made if, as I say, I have the honour of leading the Labour Party … I think there will be changes and certainly if I’m there, there will be changes,” she said.

Ms Burton also said she did not believe there would need to be €2 billion in spending cuts in the next budget. And she apologised for the mistakes made around the review of discretionary medical cards for people with long-term illnesses.

“We got it wrong; for that I’d like to apologise,” she said.

Ms Burton and Minister of State at the Department of Health Alex White are the only candidates declared for the leadership. Nominations for the role close on Tuesday.

Speaking on the Saturday Night Show on RTÉ television, Ms Burton said she was “very passionate about politics” and about the job the Government and the Labour Party had to do. They had concentrated on economic recovery, but that was not enough.

“Now we have to do the care and repair as well,” she said.

Former deputy party leader Barry Desmond said he believed Ms Burton and Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin would “remain as key members of the cabinet”, with Mr Howlin remaining in his current role.

He believed Ms Burton would ask Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte to “step aside” for new members and he thought junior minister at the Department of Transport Alan Kelly would “seek full ministerial office”.

He did not speculate on any role outgoing party leader Eamon Gilmore might play, but said he was "only 59" and still had "a great deal to contribute".

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s This Week programme, Mr Desmond also said he believed Mr White had “problems” because of his involvement in the motion of no confidence in Mr Gilmore tabled in advance of his resignation last Monday. This was “a lapse of judgement”, Mr Desmond said. There was also his “great difficulty” with medical cards.

Speaking at the Bar Council’s annual conference in Westport, Co Mayo on Saturday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he would be happy to work with whoever the Labour Party chose as its next leader but that the selection process was a matter for Fine Gael’s coalition partner alone.

“Whoever the Labour Party select as their leader, I’ll be happy to sit down with that leader and work out the continuing programme that we have to fulfil the mandate given to us by the people,” he said.