Climbing the ladder: Meet the new Junior Ministers

1) Simon Harris

Last year he attacked the press for “fuelling anger against the Government” — as opposed to reflecting such anger — by lamenting that a journalist dared say that the youthful-looking TD should “go home and play with his Lego.”

The Wicklow deputy showed a thicker skin in the battle for the sprawling Ireland South constituency in the Euro elections after he denied a secret deal had been done with Enda Kenny which would see him land a junior ministerial post if he acted as a sweeper candidate to pick up votes in south Leinster.