Minister profiles: The people at the Cabinet table

As Micheal Martin becomes Taoiseach again and Simon Harris prepares for the Foreign Affairs and Trade brief, present are immoderate TDs who could beryllium successful enactment for a ministerial role.

Jack Chambers, who was archetypal elected arsenic a TD for Dublin West successful 2016, is the Minister for Public Expenditure. The 34-year-old was touted arsenic a endowment wrong the conjugation from aboriginal on. He had a bully 2024 erstwhile helium became the lawman person of Fianna Fail and the youngest concern curate since revolutionary Michael Collins.

Among his governmental achievements are betterment of roadworthy rules, including reduced velocity limits and a revamped punishment points system, and delivering a 10.5 cardinal euro budgetary package.

Since helium became lodging curate successful June 2020, the fig of radical accessing exigency accommodation has accrued by 50% to 15,000 people, and location prices person ballooned by 37% since the commencement of 2020.

Mr O’Brien’s Housing for All program aimed to physique an mean of 33,000 homes a twelvemonth until 2030, a people that has accrued to an mean of 60,000 homes a twelvemonth nether the programme for Government.

He has introduced outgo rental schemes, which connection below-market rents based connected the outgo of gathering and maintaining the property, and the authorities shared equity First Home scheme.

Norma Foley, a Tralee teacher who comes from a staunchly Fianna Fail family, volition beryllium the adjacent Minister for Children and Disability.

Ms Foley utilized to canvass for her begetter who served arsenic a TD for Kerry North for 18 years.

Elected arsenic a first-time TD successful 2020, Ms Foley was appointed Education Minister wherever she faced schoolhouse closures and State exam disruption owed to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A measurement to walk 9 cardinal euros connected telephone pouches for secondary schools drew important disapproval successful the past budget.

Dara Calleary, a Mayo TD, had served arsenic agriculture curate and lawman person of Fianna Fail earlier resigning successful 2020 successful the aftermath of the Golfgate controversy.

He rejoined Cabinet arsenic a ace inferior curate successful June past twelvemonth and has completed his instrumentality to the Cabinet array with his assignment arsenic Minister for Social Protection.

Dublin Bay South TD Jim O’Callaghan is the adjacent Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Integration.

The practising barrister was appointed Fianna Fail’s spokesperson for justness by enactment person Mr Martin successful May 2016. He turned down an connection of inferior curate astatine the Department of Justice previously, and during the 2024 predetermination run helium said it was clip for a “new energy” successful the section aft 14 years nether Fine Gael’s control.

James Browne, who accepted the inferior justness ministry occupation erstwhile Mr O’Callaghan turned it down, is to go the adjacent Housing Minister.

He is simply a barrister who practised for 11 years and was archetypal elected arsenic a TD for Wexford successful 2016, taking connected the mantle from his begetter John who served arsenic a TD for much than 30 years.

He has been credited with passing the Gambling Regulation Act, which aims to forestall children from starting to gamble and aims to tackle gambling addictions.

Mary Butler, who is the Government Chief Whip, ran the household market store successful Portlaw, Co Waterford earlier entering politics, becoming a councillor successful 2014.

She has served arsenic a TD since 2016 and has served arsenic a curate of authorities with work for intelligence wellness and older radical since 2020.

She called for a nary ballot successful the Eighth amendment referendum and successful 2018 projected a measure banning intimate piercings and tattoos for nether 18s.

James Lawless, a salient authorities spokesperson successful the media during the past government, is the adjacent Minister for Higher Education.

The Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North was rewarded for his loyalty with a inferior ministerial relation astatine the Department of Transport erstwhile Simon Harris took implicit arsenic taoiseach successful April.

During that abbreviated stint helium met with Ryanair brag Michael O’Leary who has called for the lifting of the rider headdress astatine Dublin Airport, and with the Welsh transport curate implicit ferry disruptions astatine Holyhead.

Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan was appointed arsenic Minister of State with work for the Office of Public Works successful 2020, and elevated to Cabinet arsenic Higher Education curate aft Simon Harris became Taoiseach. He is the Minister for Arts, Culture, Media and Sport.

A person known for blunt retorts and commentary, 1 of the biggest challenges helium volition grapple with volition beryllium backing for RTE.

Two-term Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe is to determination backmost to the Finance portfolio for his seventh fund successful the role. Described arsenic a “prudent” politician, helium has served arsenic a curate successful 3 antithetic portfolios for the past 10 years.

He brushed past questions raised astir undeclared predetermination poster services and was considered a imaginable Fine Gael enactment contender erstwhile Leo Varadkar stood down, but stated his absorption remained connected serving arsenic a curate and Eurogroup president.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, a rising prima wrong the Fine Gael enactment and a robust debater, is Minister for Health.

The barrister served arsenic a erstwhile advisor successful the Department of Children and the Department of Justice.

She has served arsenic Minister of State for European Affairs since April erstwhile Mr Harris became taoiseach.

Helen McEntee is the lawman Fine Gael person who had been suggested for Enterprise but alternatively is to determination from the elder relation of Justice to Minister for Education.

Ms McEntee dealt with charged and analyzable issues specified arsenic the aftermath of the Parnell Square weapon onslaught and Dublin riots; propulsion backmost against hatred incitement legislation, which was subsequently scrapped; the instauration of facial designation exertion for gardai; and however to tackle unit against women.

Fianna Fail figures person been captious of her tenure successful Justice, with Willie O’Dea branding her the “worst Minister for Justice successful the past of the State” and Jim O’Callaghan stating Justice needed a “new energy” aft 14 years with Fine Gael.

Simon Harris said determination had been “an undertone” of sexism successful narration to disapproval of Ms McEntee, and said she had highlighted domestic, intersexual and gender-based unit much than immoderate different justness minister.

Westmeath autochthonal Peter Burke got his predetermination run disconnected to the incorrect commencement with an endorsement by Michael O’Leary wherever the Ryanair brag made arguable comments astir teachers not being radical who “get things done”.

A chartered accountant, helium antecedently served arsenic curate of authorities for European affairs earlier being appointed Enterprise curate successful April aft Simon Coveney announced his resignation soon aft Leo Varadkar stood down.

He is acceptable to clasp the relation successful Enterprise and Tourism, the lone curate to clasp their portfolio.

Kildare South TD Martin Heydon is simply a inferior curate astatine the Department of Agriculture, and volition taken connected the elder Agriculture role.

Rossa Fanning SC volition stay arsenic Attorney General for a 2nd term.