LAST UPDATE | 18 Nov 2025

TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS will become the new Finance Minister after Paschal Donohoe announced today that he is quitting to take up a job at the World Bank.

Donohoe, who was first elected to the Dáil in 2011, had held the position since January and previously served as finance minister between 2017 and 2022.

But following this morning’s surprise announcement, the Dublin Central TD’s ministry will now go to his party leader Simon Harris, who until now had been Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Donohoe’s departure and Harris’s ministerial switch means there’s been a mini Cabinet re-shuffle today.

After the news about Donohoe broke this morning, rumours abounded that a woman would be given Harris’s old gig at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Helen McEntee was the person tipped to move into that position, and this has now been confirmed.

McEntee currently holds the Education brief, so her move also means Hildegarde Naughton will be promoted and take a seat at the Cabinet table as the new minister. 

This would leave a spot open for a junior minister to get a promotion, with names such as Neale Richmond and Emer Higgins circulating this afternoon. 

Paschal Donohoe, Hildegarde Naughton and Helen McEntee. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The foreign affairs ministry will have a prominent role next year when Ireland takes on the EU Presidency. 

Hildegarde Naughton, as a new minister, will have to go to Áras an Uachtaráin to get the seal of office from President Catherine Connolly, in what would be one of her first official acts.

Donohoe told reporters earlier that he will resign from the Dáil later in the week. 

He said the support of his constituency “humbled” him, noting that “some of those elections were really demanding, but the people stood by me”.

Donohoe praised Fine Gael members. “I made many valued friends,” Donohoe said, singling out Tánaiste Simon Harris for his “energy” and “vision”, adding that he believes Harris will lead the country again “with distinction”.

He also warmly acknowledged colleagues across government, including Michael McGrath, Jack Chambers and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, describing them as “exceptional partners in some tough moments”.

While the today’s news of Donohoe’s departure from Irish politics was unexpected, many in government and around Leinster House are not surprised, stating it was always a case of when not if the minister would head off for pastures new. 

Last year, there was much speculation about him taking on the role as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but he ruled himself out. 

He was previously earmarked to be tapped for the top job in the IMF in December, but at the time he told reporters he wanted to see out his positions as a minister in Ireland and as head of the European finance ministers in the Eurogroup.

Contains reporting by Stephen McDermott.