Government rules out creating two new junior ministries

This means that the party leaders — Mr Martin and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar — will have to cut people if they want to promote anyone

Newly announced cabinet ministers in Government Buildings today 17 December 2022. Picture: Government Information Service

The Government has ruled out creating two new junior ministries and there is likely to be no major changes to the portfolios, when the announcement is made on Wednesday.

While it is expected that Fine Gael junior ministers Colm Brophy and Frankie Feighan will be dropped, there is growing speculation that one of the Fianna Fáil junior ministers will be axed to allow Tánaiste Micheál Martin to promote James Lawless, the Kildare TD.