Former agriculture minister McConalogue among 16 junior ministers appointed

The Government has appointed its team of junior ministers, including former agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue and Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae.

Fifteen senior ministers were appointed last Thursday when Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin became Taoiseach, a day after disruptive scenes in the Dail parliament.

Criticisms were made of the drop in the number of women at Cabinet from four to three.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, just two seats short of a majority, formed a coalition deal with the regional independent group and Kerry brothers Michael and Danny Healy-Rae.

To reflect the mandate of each political group based on November’s election, Fianna Fail has 10 junior ministry roles, including chief whip Mary Butler; Fine Gael has eight, while the independents have five.

Three “super” junior ministers were announced last week: the Regional Independents Sean Canney and Noel Grealish, and Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton.

Two other independents, Kevin “Boxer” Moran, Marian Harkin and Mr Healy-Rae, have been given junior ministries.

On Wednesday, the full 16 junior ministerial roles were revealed – six of whom are women, three of whom are new female junior ministers.

Donegal TD Mr McConalogue, who was the only minister to be dropped from Cabinet last week, accepted a role as a minister of state.

Robert Troy, who resigned as a junior minister at the Department of Enterprise in August 2022 after failing to declare all his property dealings on the Dail register of members’ interests, has returned to the junior benches.

The Westmeath TD said at the time these were “genuine errors” and not an attempt “to conceal anything”.

Fianna Fail has promoted former media committee chairwoman Niamh Smyth and Jennifer Murnane O’Connor as junior ministers.

Cork North-West TD for Fianna Fail Michael Moynihan, Cork TD Christopher O’Sullivan and Clare TD Timmy Dooley have also been promoted to junior ministries.

Thomas Byrne and Niall Collins have been re-appointed to junior ministerial roles.

For Fine Gael, Cork South-Central TD Jerry Buttimer, former cathaoirleach of the Seanad; Dublin South West TD Colm Brophy; and Waterford TD John Cummins have been promoted as ministers of state.

Alan Dillon, Neale Richmond, Emer Higgins and Kieran O’Donnell remain as ministers of state.

The Government nominees for the leas Ceann Comhairle role is a joint bid between Fianna Fail’s John McGuinness and Fine Gael’s Frank Feighan, who will rotate the role on November 16 2027.

On Tuesday, Sinn Fein TD Pa Daly began a legal challenge against the Government as to whether having “super” junior ministers at Cabinet is unconstitutional.

There can only be a maximum of 15 members of Government at Cabinet as per the Irish constitution. Mr Daly’s case was granted leave in the High Court on Wednesday after a record high number of junior ministerial appointments.

Labour’s finance spokesperson Ged Nash said that “the boom-time ‘baby minister’ bonanza is back”.

He added: “Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are prepared to spend at least an extra 1.5 million euro a year of public money to keep Independents and their own TDs happy with new perks and positions.

“This stroke by the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and their partner in government Michael Lowry have absolutely smashed the pre-crash record of 20 ministers of state.

“By the time the committee chair gigs are doled out, we will have in excess of 50 TDs with Government-sponsored jobs.”