Live updates: Government unveils new lineup of junior ministers

Cork North Central TD Colm Burke is also due to be appointed as the junior minister for public health. Picture Dan Linehan

2.05pm The Government has unveiled its new lineup of junior ministers, with several new appointments to the benches today.

The new appointees are:

• Cork North Central TD Colm Burke, who will take up the junior ministry with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and National Drugs Strategy.
• Mayo TD Alan Dillon, who becomes the junior minister with responsibility for Planning and Local Government.
• Dublin Mid-West TD Emer Higgins, who takes over from Neale Richmond as the junior minister for Business, Employment & Retail.
• Mr Richmond, a TD for Dublin Rathdown, will now become the junior minister with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance.
• Limerick City TD Kieran O’Donnell is to become the new junior minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, having been moved from the Department of Housing.
• Fianna Fáil junior minister Thomas Byrne has received the Gaeltacht portfolio, alongside his current responsibilities as sport minister.

All other previous appointees remain in their previous positions.

2pm Mayo TD and former rural affairs minister Michael Ring says he turned down two junior ministries from new Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Mr Ring said that he turned down the role because he could not yet give a commitment that he will run in the next election.

1.44pm: Fianna Fáil's Thomas Byrne is expected to be named Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, the Irish Examiner understands.

12.10pm: Cork North Central TD Colm Burke is also due to be appointed as the junior minister for public health, taking over the role from chief whip Hildegarde Naughton.

Following the appointment of Kieran O'Donnell to the OPW junior ministry, Mayo TD Alan Dillon is set to be appointed to the Department of Housing. 

Mr Dillon, a first-time TD, will take up the junior role for local government and planning.

The official announcement of the new junior ministers will be made at 1pm, following a Cabinet decision.

11.35am: In a somewhat of a surprise move, Kieran O'Donnell has been appointed to the OPW portfolio.

It had been rumoured that Mayo TD Allan Dillon would be given the OPW role.

The Limerick TD had held a Minister of State position with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, but now moves to OPW after the elevation of fellow Limerick man Patrick O'Donovan.

Fine Gael's Neale Richmond (pictured) had been considered one of the junior ministers in line for a promotion to Cabinet, but the new Taoiseach opted for Limerick County's Patrick O'Donovan and Westmeath's Peter Burke.

11am: Junior Enterprise Minister Neale Richmond will be moved to the junior role at the Department of Finance as Simon Harris fills his ministerial ranks.

Mr Richmond had been considered one of the junior ministers in line for a promotion to Cabinet, but the new Taoiseach opted for Limerick County's Patrick O'Donovan and Westmeath's Peter Burke.

Sources close to the Taoiseach said that he intends to completely overhaul his junior benches, with one suggestion that all of the Fine Gael TDs appointed will end the day in different roles than when they started.

Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin pictured with newly announced cabinet ministers in Government Buildings. Picture: Government Information Service

The Irish Examiner can confirm that Dublin Mid-West TD Emer Higgins will replace Mr Richmond in the Enterprise role. She has been seen at Government Buildings in recent minutes.

Mr Harris said on Tuesday that his team would have "the right mixture of experience and new talent, to build the new social contract".

Other newly-minted junior ministers are currently being called to Mr Harris's office to be given their portfolios.

It is understood that Cork North-Central's Colm Burke will take the junior health ministry and Alan Dillon, the Mayo TD, will also be given a role.