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IT’S BEEN ALMOST two months since the general election, and after all the shenanigans yesterday Ireland finally has a fully formed government.
While there are plenty of familiar faces returning to seats around the Cabinet table, some have taken up new roles while a number of newcomers have also made the cut. One sitting minister, Donegal’s Charlie McConalogue, was not re-appointed to a Cabinet position.
Here are the senior ministers in the new Cabinet:
Fianna Fáil leader, and outgoing Tánaiste, Micheál Martin has become Taoiseach again. He’ll stay in the role until November 2027, barring any upsets, when he swaps jobs with Simon Harris.
Simon Harris began the last government as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, but he became Taoiseach following the resignation of Leo Varadkar as Fine Gael leader in April 2024.
This time round, the Wicklow TD is the Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister (in a beefed up portfolio including trade) as well as Minister for Defence.
Fianna Fáil deputy leader Jack Chambers, who served as Finance Minister towards the end of the last government, has become the new Minister for Public Expenditure.
The Dublin West TD was 33 years old when appointed Finance Minister last year, the youngest person to hold the position since Michael Collins in 1919.
Chambers is swapping roles with Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe, who is returning to his previous job as Finance Minister.
Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan is now the Minister for Justice.
The Dublin Bay South TD has previously been his party’s justice spokesperson. In the last government, he turned down an offer of a junior ministry in the Department of Justice under Helen McEntee’s leadership.
Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fáil) is moving from his previous role as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to Minister for Transport and the Environment.
Fine Gael’s Helen McEntee served as Minister for Justice in the last government. This time she is taking up the role of Minister for Education and Youth, replacing Norma Foley.
McEntee’s party colleague Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is the new Minister for Health, after being promoted from a junior ministry in EU Affairs and Defence. She is replacing Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly, who lost his seat in the general election.
Fianna Fáil’s Norma Foley has gone from Minister for Education to Minister for Children and Disability.
The Agriculture brief is being passed from Fianna Fáil to Fine Gael, with Kildare South TD Martin Heydon appointed as minister.
In the last government he was a junior minister in the Department, with responsibility for research and development and farm safety.
Fine Gael’s Peter Burke will remain in situ as Minister for Enterprise – one of the few ministers from the last government to continue in their brief.
In the last government, Fine Gael’s Patrick O’Donovan succeeded his party leader Simon Harris as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. This time he is Minister for Communications, Arts and Culture.
Fianna Fáil’s James Lawless finished the last government term as a junior minister at the Department of Transport. He will now take on the role of Minister for Higher Education.
Fianna Fáil’s Waterford TD Mary Butler is set to become the government’s new Chief Whip, while also having responsibility for mental health.
She is being elevated from her previous role as junior minister for mental health and older people.
Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary was a junior minister at the Department of Enterprise last time round. He will now be Minister for Social Protection, Rural Affairs and the Gaeltacht.
Fianna Fáil’s James Browne is the new Minister for Housing, having spent the last government term as a junior minister at the Department of Justice.
The Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton holds on to her seat around the Cabinet table.
A member of the Regional Independents, Noel Grealish, who secured a super junior job that gets him a seat at the Cabinet table.
Galway East TD Sean Canney, another Regional Independent TD who has a seat at Cabinet. He will also attend the weekly leaders meeting with Micheál Martin and Simon Harris.
Rossa Fanning will remain as Attorney-General for a second term.
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