Two Independent Alliance TDs – Sean Canney and Kevin “Boxer” Moran – will share a Minister of State role.
Sean Canney (pictured) is the Minister of State at the Office of Public Works and flood defences. He will be in the job for 14 months, after which his Independent Alliance colleague Kevin “Boxer” Moran will take over.
Both wanted to start in the position from the off, but Sean Canney would not say if the order of rotation was decided by coin toss.
“This is not about tossing a coin…It was a very simple arrangement, and a gentlemanly arrangement,” he said.
“Both of us would have liked it at the start…but it makes very little difference as both of us will be working together from the start within the department to make sure we get the best possible result.”
The Taoiseach announced his junior ministerial team yesterday, with 18 TDs promoted. In total Fine Gael now has 27 Ministers and 23 backbenchers.
There is particular emphasis on health, with four junior ministers appointed to different areas.
Here is the full list of the new Ministers of State:
Fine Gael’s Dara Murphy – Minister for EU Affairs, Data Protection and the EU Single Market
Independent TD John Halligan – Minister of State for Training and Skills.
Fine Gael’s Joe McHugh – Minister of State for the Diaspora and Overseas Development Aid.
Fine Gael’s Seán Kyne – Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs.
Fine Gael’s Damien English – Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal.
Fine Gael’s Andrew Doyle – Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture.
Fine Gael’s Eoghan Murphy – Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
Fine Gael’s Patrick O’Donovan – Minister of State for Tourism & Sport.
Fine Gael’s Paul Kehoe – Minister of State for Defence.
Fine Gael’s Regina Doherty – Government Chief Whip.
Independent TD Finian McGrath – Minister of State for Disability.
Fine Gael’s Pat Breen – Minister of State for Employment and Small Business.
Fine Gael’s Helen McEntee – Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People.
Fine Gael’s Marcella Corcoran Kennedy – Minister of State for Health Promotion.
Independent TD Sean Canney – Minister of State for the OPW and Flood Relief.
Fine Gael’s Catherine Byrne – Minister of State for Communities and the National Drug Strategy.
Fine Gael’s David Stanton – Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration.
Fine Gael’s Michael Ring – Regional Economic Development.
