Simon Harris completes Government line-up with new junior ministers

New Taoiseach Simon Harris with Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan (Brian Lawless/PA)

A number of new junior ministers have been appointed after new Taoiseach Simon Harris made further changes to portfolios held by Fine Gael.

Neale Richmond has become the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, which was left vacant on Tuesday after Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was appointed as the junior minister for European Affairs.

Mr Richmond’s old role of Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise has been given to first-time junior minister Emer Higgins.

Emer Higgins, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise (Brian Lawless/PA)

In another first, Colm Burke has been appointed as the Minister of State for Wellbeing and Drugs Strategy, after Hildegarde Naughton was moved from the role to be given responsibility for special education on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Kieran O’Donnell has been moved from junior minister at the Department of Housing to take on the Minister of State for the OPW role that became free when Patrick O’Donovan was promoted to Cabinet.

Mr O’Donnell’s old role will be taken on by Mayo TD Alan Dillon, who becomes a minister of state for the first time.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael has dropped the Gaeltacht portfolio following the promotion of Patrick O’Donovan.

Alan Dillon (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mr O’Donovan, who held that junior minister role, was appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Further Education on Tuesday.

In the reshuffle of junior minister positions on Wednesday, no Fine Gael appointee inherited the role.

Instead, Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne added the job to his existing responsibilities as Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education.

The Gaeltacht job is normally held by a minister who can speak Irish, as Mr Byrne does.

Coalition party leaders with junior ministers (Brian Lawless/PA)

At a photo opportunity with the new junior ministers on Wednesday, Mr Harris said he had a “very good team”.

Mr Harris said his first full-day as Taoiseach was a “busy one”.

He chaired a Cabinet meeting in which the junior ministers were appointed.

The Taoiseach also established Cabinet committees.

“We approved the establishment of a number of Cabinet committees including a Cabinet committee I wanted to see established on disability, education and children.

Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Brian Lawless/PA)

“Really looking forward to trying to break down silos to improve disability services in this country.”

The Government also decided that the National Economic Dialogue next month, which is seen as the first step of the annual Budget process.