MICHAEL Healy Rae celebrated his appointment as Minister by thumping the air outside Government buildings as Taoiseach Micheal Martin revealed his record breaking 23-strong junior team.
The squad of 23 Ministers will all receive a boosted pay packet worth more than €190,000 in pay and expenses, with the total bill for the team coming in at around €4.5 million a year.
Martin has revealed his 23-strong junior minister group[/caption]
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael chopped up the Minister of State roles with Micheal Martin getting 10 jobs to fill, Fine Gael getting eight and Independent TDs making up the final five.
Former Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue was dumped out of Cabinet by Micheal Martin but has been appointed as Minister of Sport by way of apology as it is seen as one of the most plum jobs in the junior ranks.
The Fianna Fail leader has also decided to bring landlord TD Robert Troy back into his Ministerial ranks as Junior in charge of Credit Unions and Insurance.
The Westmeath TD resigned as a Minister of State in the last government following a series of revelations about how he failed to declare a number of his properties – which he claims was an honest mistake.
Niamh Smyth and Jennifer Murnane O’Connor are the only two women promoted to Minister by Micheal Martin with Deputy Smyth going to the Department of Business and Deputy O’Connor becoming the new Drugs Minister.
Thomas Byrne has landed the most senior of the junior minister jobs as he was appointed Minister for European Affairs and Defence.
Michael Moynihan is now the Special Education Minister, Christopher O’Sullivan goes to the Department of Environment and Clare’s Timmy Dooley is Minister of Fisheries.
Simon Harris has promoted two former Senators turned TDs to his Ministerial ranks in Jerry Buttimer and John Cummins.
The Fine Gael leader also reshuffled some of his existing Junior Ministers with Emer Higgins going to the Department of Public Expenditure, Alan Dillon to Enterprise, Neale Richmond to Foreign Affairs and Kieran O’Donnell Minister for Older People.
Dublin South West TD Colm Brophy has been tasked with arguably the toughest Minister of State role as he takes a new position in charge of Migration.
Sean Canney and Noel Grealish will attend cabinet for the Regional Independent Group as Super Juniors while Marian Harkin will be a Minister in the Department of Higher Education and Kevin Boxer Moran is Minister for the OPW.
Michael Healy Rae was appointed Minister for Forestry in the Department of Agriculture with the delighted Kerry man beaming alongside his Government colleagues as they posed for a group photo.
The independent TD hung back after the photo opportunity before thumping his hand into the air as he celebrated joining the Government ranks for the cameras by shouting “I’ll give you your picture.”
The Taoiseach and Tanaiste refused to answer questions during the photo op as reporters tried to probe the lack of gender balance in the appointments.
A spokesman for the Taoiseach later defended the Ministerial appointments by saying that the Taoiseach wants a better gender balance in Government and stated that four out of seven Fianna Fail TDs are now Ministers.
A spokesman for Tanaiste Simon Harris pointed out that 10 female TDs elected for Fine Gael four of them are now ministers.
In a statement sent out, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: “This will be a Government determined to deliver on the economy, housing, disability, infrastructure, and public services, as well as maintaining Ireland’s strong voice on the world stage.
“We are very conscious of the work ahead and I have every confidence in our team of Ministers from across the two government parties and independents.”
Healy Rae thumped the air as he hung back for a picture[/caption]
FULL LIST OF NEW MINISTERS OF STATE
Thomas Byrne – Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European Affairs and at the Department of Defence
Michael Moynihan – Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion
Charlie McConalogue – Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media with Special Responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy
Kevin Boxer Moran – Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works
Emer Higgins – Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with special responsibility for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor – Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy
Michael Healy-Rae – Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture
Neale Richmond – Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora
Jerry Buttimer – Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, with special responsibility for Community Development, Charities, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport
John Cummins – Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Local Government and Planning
Christopher O’Sullivan – Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity
Kieran O’Donnell – Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Older People and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Housing
Robert Troy – Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance
Niall Collins – Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice
Niamh Smyth – Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation
Alan Dillon – Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Small Businesses and Retail and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for Circular Economy
The Government noted the intention, subject to the necessary amendments being made to the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977 to nominate the following persons to be appointed as Ministers of State:
Timmy Dooley – Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Fisheries and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for the Marine
Colm Brophy – Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for Migration
Marian Harkin – Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with special responsibility for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills
