Fianna Fáil's Catherine Ardagh appointed junior minister in Government reshuffle

The Fianna Fáil TD will oversee youth justice and law reform following Michael Healy-Rae’s departure from Government

Fianna Fáil TD Catherine Ardagh. Picture: Andres Poveda

Fianna Fáil TD Catherine Ardagh has been appointed a junior minister.

Ms Ardagh will take up a role at the Department of Justice, while party colleague Niall Collins will move to a forestry brief at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The vacancy arose following Independent TD Michael Healy Rae’s shock departure from Government last month.

Ms Ardagh will have responsibility for international law, law reform, and youth justice. Limerick TD Mr Collins will take responsibility for forestry, farm safety, and horticulture.

Ms Ardagh, a solicitor by profession, was elected to the Dáil in 2024 after previously serving in the Seanad. Her father, Seán Ardagh, served as a Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South-Central from 1997 to 2011.

Ms Ardagh said she was “delighted” to be appointed.

"I look forward to applying both my legal expertise and the understanding I have gained from working closely with people across my constituency.

"I am also looking forward to working alongside my colleague Minister Jim O'Callaghan as we progress the important work underway in this area."

Mr Collins said he was looking forward to representing rural Ireland in his new role.

"As a public representative for a rural constituency in the heart of the Golden Vale with over 5,000 farm families, I look forward to building on the work done already in the Department of Agriculture and to getting stuck into my new brief, which covers areas of significant importance that go right to the heart of rural Ireland.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ms Ardagh brings “considerable experience” to the role and praised Mr Collins, “who brought great energy and commitment to the role, in particular through his work on youth diversion projects”.

Mr Healy Rae shocked the Government by stepping down during a motion of confidence in the Government amid the fuel protest crisis.

“Because of the fact that I believe this government has let the people of Ireland down, I will be voting no confidence in the leader of the country, and I will be tendering my resignation as a minister of state,” Mr Healy-Rae said at the time.

“The feeling that I have is the government and the leader in particular, has not listened."

Agriculture committee chairman and Cork North-West TD Aindrias Moynihan had been considered a leading contender for the role but will remain in his current position.

Fianna Fáil earlier this week appointed Naoise Ó Cearúil as chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish-Speaking Community.