Following a Cabinet meeting, the new state ministers were revealed, reports RTE.
John Cummins (Waterford), Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central), and Colm Brophy (Dublin South West) have all been promoted within the Fine Gael ranks.
Colm Burke, the state minister for Cork North Central, has not been kept on, though, reports RTE.
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal), who lost his top position last week, is now a minor minister in the Fianna Fáil hierarchy.
Michael Moynihan (Cork North West), Niamh Smyth (Cavan Monaghan), and Timmy Dooley (Clare) are among those promoted, reports RTE.
Robert Troy (Longford Westmeath), Jennifer Murnane O’Connor (Carlow Kilkenny), and Christopher O’Sullivan (Cork South West) were also promoted.
In today’s shuffle, Sean Fleming (Laois), the minister of state for the Fianna Fáil, lost his job, reports RTE.
The selection of 23 ministers of state—a threefold increase over the previous Coalition—was communicated to the Cabinet.
Seven junior ministers were previously identified: five are Independent TDs who back the government, together with Mary Butler of Fianna Fáil, the new Chief Whip, and Hildegarde Naughton of Fine Gael, reports RTE.
Labour has questioned the appointment of junior ministers, claiming that there are too few women and that the number is excessive.
Only six of the 23 ministers of state are female, indicating that the debate over gender equality in politics will likely continue, reports RTE.
Four were previously known: Emer Higgins (Dublin West); Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West); and Chief Whip Mary Butler (Waterford). & Sligo Leitrim’s Marian Harkin.
Niamh Smyth (Cavan Monaghan) and Jennifer Murnane O’Connor (Carlow Kilkenny) were elevated today, reports RTE.
Just three of the fifteen senior ministers were female last week: Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire), Helen McEntee (Meath East), and Norma Foley (Kerry).
Following the Cabinet meeting, the remaining 16 junior ministers were revealed. Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated that he considered the fact that just three of the 15 senior Cabinet ministers are female when selecting his selections, reports RTE.
However, with letters from the departments of Housing, Social Protection, Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment due, the primary focus of the Cabinet meeting was expected to be the State’s response to the storm.
Ministers were also expected to talk about the government’s pledge to develop a new “Extreme Weather Event Assistance Scheme” that will help companies, farms, community organisations, and homes, reports RTE.
This is in addition to the department of social protection’s existing humanitarian aid programs and a special flooding program that the previous Coalition set up last year.
For the role of Dáil Leas Ceann Comhairle, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have separately suggested a job share.
John McGuinness of Fianna Fáil may be able to continue in the role until November 2027, reports RTE.
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