Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has said that it was "never an ambition" of his to be leader of Fine Gael.
When asked if he had considered the position last week when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar resigned, Mr Donohoe told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show: “I think anybody, who's human will always consider when a big moment happens, what should they do?
"But I ended up exactly where I began. For many years, this question has been put to me. As I said, I've answered the question at each point in time that it's not an ambition for me. And it wasn't an ambition last week.”
While the past week had seen “very significant political change”, the work of the government continued. “That’s what I'm here to do. And the work of the government will continue with the three parties led by a new Taoiseach in two weeks time. And I wish Leo every happiness in the next phase of his life.”
Mr Donohoe said he was “extremely loyal not just to the person, but also to the office of the Taoiseach”.
The question of his interest in the role of leader had been put to him repeatedly over the years, he said. “And I have always given an answer which for me at each point was the truth. I've always been motivated by what I can achieve for the country, for public life.
“I'm a public servant. I'm always motivated by what I can achieve than what I can be. And in that period, I've led our country back to its public finances, back to surplus twice. I've led our country's economy during the pandemic.
"I've grappled and led our way through issues such as corporate tax and Brexit, not to mention the issues of today. Been doing the right thing in those situations. Making the case for stability, making the case for public finances and their value really mattering to ordinary people is what has motivated me and continues to.”
Mr Donohoe denied that Simon Harris had gotten the jump on him with regard to numbers.
“None of that was material in my thinking. What was material in my thinking is what's the right thing for me as a person and for my family? What's the right thing for me for the years to come? And sitting alongside that was what's the right thing for me
"What is the right thing for the country? And as I had said, we are extremely fortunate now to have elected the leader of the quality for Simon. He'll make his own decisions in the coming days and weeks. But it's about what I can do rather than what I can be. It's what politics for me is about.”
