Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed the appointments to the Minister of State positions, following the Cabinet reshuffle earlier this week.
Mr Varadkar resumed the role of Taoiseach on Saturday, taking over from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, as per the agreed terms of the Coalition.
It had previously been confirmed that Fine Gael's Hildegarde Naughton would take over as Government Chief Whip, the role previously held by Fianna Fáil's Jack Chambers.
Ms Naughton will now also act as Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy.
It was also confirmed earlier this week that Mr Chambers would become Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for International and Road Transport & Logistics, in addition to Minister for Postal Policy at the Department of the Environment, while Senator Pippa Hackett will be the Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture.
Reshuffle
On Wednesday, Mr Varadkar announced the appointees for the remaining junior minister positions.
Among the changes is Fine Gael's Peter Burke taking over as Minister of State for European Affairs in the place of Fianna Fáil's Thomas Byrne. Mr Byrne now takes the Sport portfolio vacated by Mr Chambers.
Fine Gael's Colm Brophy lost his position as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for International Development and Diaspora, with his role instead going to Fianna Fáil's Sean Fleming.
Frank Feighan of Fine Gael also lost his role in the Department of Health.
Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill and Kieran O'Donnell (both Fine Gael) were the only two backbenchers to be promoted to a junior ministry.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Varakadar said there was "strong talent and ability from across the three Government parties", wishing the new appointees well with their portfolios.
"Having emerged from Covid, we face major challenges in the years ahead. As I said on Saturday, we are living in an age of emergencies: climate, the war in Ukraine, housing, the cost of living, child poverty. There are also threats to the economy and employment, affecting every community in our country," the Taoiseach said.
"We must treat each challenge as a national emergency and deploy the full resources of the State, the full machinery of Government, to make an immediate and real difference. These Ministers of State will play a vital role in that response, and in delivering the remainder of the Programme for Government," he added.
The Minister of State appointees, by party, are as follows:
Fine Gael:
- Peter Burke TD: Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs (EU Affairs) and the Department of Defence
- Patrick O'Donovan TD: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (OPW) and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Gaeltacht)
- Josepha Madigan TD: Department of Education (Special Education and Inclusion)
- Martin Heydon TD: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development)
- Kieran O’Donnell TD: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Local Government and Planning)
- Damien English TD: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Employment Affairs and Retail Business) and Department of Social Protection
- Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill TD: Department of Finance (Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance)
Fianna Fáil:
- Anne Rabbitte TD: Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Disability)
- Sean Fleming TD: Department of Foreign Affairs (International Development and Diaspora)
- Mary Butler TD: Department of Health (Mental Health and Older People)
- Thomas Byrne TD: Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Sport and Physical Education)
- Niall Collins TD: Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science (Skills and Further Education)
- James Browne TD: Department of Justice (Law Reform and Youth Justice)
- Dara Calleary TD: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Trade Promotion and Digital Transformation)
Green Party:
- Ossian Smyth TD: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Public Procurement and eGovernment) and Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (Communications and Circular Economy)
- Joe O'Brien TD: Department of Rural and Community Development and Department of Social Protection (Community Development and Charities) and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Integration)
- Malcolm Noonan TD: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Heritage and Electoral Reform)
