Live: Kenny elected Taoiseach, Harris replaces Varadkar as Minister for Health
Simon Harris will replace Leo Varadkar as Minister for Health, and Frances Fitzgerald will be Tánaiste, Enda Kenny confirmed earlier.
The following Ministerial appointments were announced:
Enda Kenny
Frances Fitzgerald
Regina Doherty
Simon Harris
Leo Varadkar
Katherine Zappone
Mary Mitchell O Connor
Simon Coveney
Michael Creed
Charlie Flanagan
Paschal Donohoe
Heather Humphreys
Richard Bruton
(super junior position allowing a place but not a vote at cabinet)
Finian McGrath
(super junior position allowing a place but not a vote at cabinet)
Paul Kehoe
Maire Whelan
Denis Naughten
“I intend to nominate Deputy Paul Kehoe as Minister of State, attending Government as Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence with Special Responsibility for Defence,” said Mr Kenny.
The new Cabinet of the minority Government is being introduced to the Dáil.
Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD with the new Cabinet: #32ndDáil pic.twitter.com/s5KvPXo48O
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) May 6, 2016
The 32nd Cabinet on their way to the Dáil. pic.twitter.com/IUSwyeIPGb
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) May 6, 2016
Independent Alliance TD Shane Ross has said he will become the new Transport Minister, despite no formal announcement being made. .
The high-profile TD confirmed the move to RTÉ Radio this afternoon, in the first known full Cabinet position handed out to Independents.
The development came as Fine Gael said it is pushing back the announcement of the next Cabinet by 45 minutes, until 6.15pm.
Mr Ross is expected to face immediate pressure to address the Luas strike controversy, a potential similar issue for Irish Rail and other matters.
Road developments throughout rural Ireland will also be crucial to his new role.
Dail announcement of new cabinet delayed 45 minutes, until 6.15pm #iestaff #ge16
— Fiachra Ó Cionnaith 😊 (@Ocionnaith) May 6, 2016
Newly-elected Taoiseach Enda Kenny has left Áras an Uachtaráin after receiving his seal of office from the President.
President Michael D Higgins signed the 'Warrant of Appointment' shortly after 3pm and Enda Kenny was officially re-appointed as Taoiseach for a second term.
He will present his new team, which will have the highest number of Fine Gael Ministers in Cabinet ever.
.@PresidentIRL Michael D Higgins presents Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD with his seal of office pic.twitter.com/R4tnPxH6Iy
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) May 6, 2016
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has been re-elected as Taoiseach by the most slender of margins, gaining just one vote more than the minimum needed to regain power .
The embattled leader won the fourth and final Taoiseach nomination vote by 59 votes to 49 after tense 11th-hour talks with Independents led to growing concern a second election would be called.
Enda Kenny elected Taoiseach on the fourth Dáil vote, 70 days after the General Electionhttps://t.co/GMwWV33KA0
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 6, 2016
Mr Kenny received the backing of 50 Fine Gael TDs, including his own vote, and the unaligned Independents Michael Lowry and Katherine Zappone.
To govern is a great responsibility & a great honour. I am humbled by the opportunity. We will give all we have to creating a fairer Ireland
— Enda Kenny (@EndaKennyTD) May 6, 2016
He was also supported by five of the six-strong Independent Alliance and just two of the rural five Independent TDs.
Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD greets people outside Leinster House after the vote #Dáil pic.twitter.com/aZHNaN6YTd
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) May 6, 2016
The five Independent Alliance TDs who voted in favour of Mr Kenny were Finian McGrath, Shane Ross, Sean Canney, Kevin Boxer Moran and John Halligan.
The Country has a Taoiseach pic.twitter.com/NBim69qQpr
— Joe Carey TD (@joecareytd) May 6, 2016
However, the group's sixth member, Michael Fitzmaurice, abstained due to the fact he could not secure a deal on turf cutting earlier today.
This was because of EU rules Fine Gael could not remove itself from.
However, it is believed Mr Fitzmaurice was keen to make a stand on rural issues to allow himself space to manoeuvre if fellow Independent and constituency colleague Denis Naughten is named Rural Affairs Minister - a position ex-Fine Gael TD Mr Naughten is understood to have already turned down.
The two of the five rural Independent TDs who supported Mr Kenny are Michael Harty and Denis Naughten.
However, colleague Noel Grealish abstained, while both Mattie McGrath and Michael Collins voted against Mr Kenny.
The 59-vote haul is just one more than the 58-seat target Fianna Fáil set for their rival in the recently agreed minority Government deal.
It means that if just two TDs are lost by the Government at any stage a General Election will be called.
As expected, Fianna Fáil and the Greens abstained in the vote, while Sinn Féin, Labour and the Social Democrats opposed Mr Kenny's nomination.
The Independents 4 Change of Mick Wallace, Clare Daly, Catherine Connolly and Seamus Healy all opposed.
Michael Healy Rae and Maureen O Sullivan abstained, while Danny Healy Rae voted against.
Katherine Zappone was the first TD to vote in the election, which saw Michael Lowry congratulate Mr Kenny with a handshake soon after the result was confirmed by Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail.
Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD leaves the #Dáil after the vote: pic.twitter.com/qIT2VzgkwR
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) May 6, 2016
Addressing the Dáil, a solemn Mr Kenny said the reality is "the verdict of the people" in the general election means "no party has any mandate to force or coerce" people into accepting controversial policies.
He said Ireland now has the chance to "write the next chapter of our history".
In what appeared to be a double reference to events 100 years ago and those of recent months, he said politicians should follow in the footsteps of the 1916 Rising leaders by seeking reforms and "never forget the hard lessons" they have learned.
Mr Kenny is now travelling to Aras an Uachtarain where he will be formally sworn in by President Michael D Higgins.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny arriving at the Phoenix Park pic.twitter.com/DTZVBtnHNa
— Micheal Mac Suibhne (@MicMacSuibh) May 6, 2016
Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD arrives at Áras an Uachtaráin pic.twitter.com/2KhtlMhEun
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) May 6, 2016
The Dáil has been suspended until 5.30pm, at which point Mr Kenny will formally name his new Cabinet.
Bailey, Maria; Barrett, Seán; Breen, Pat; Brophy, Colm; Bruton, Richard; Burke, Peter; Byrne, Catherine; Canney, Seán; Cannon, Ciarán; Carey, Joe; Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella; Coveney, Simon; Creed, Michael; Daly, Jim; D'Arcy, Michael; Deasy, John; Deering, Pat; Doherty, Regina; Donohoe, Paschal; Doyle, Andrew; Durkan, Bernard J; English, Damien; Farrell, Alan; Fitzgerald, Frances; Fitzpatrick, Peter; Flanagan, Charles; Griffin, Brendan; Halligan, John; Harris, Simon; Harty, Michael; Heydon, Martin; Humphreys, Heather; Kehoe, Paul; Kenny, Enda; Kyne, Seán; Lowry, Michael; Madigan, Josepha; McEntee, Helen; McGrath, Finian; McHugh, Joe; McLoughlin, Tony; Mitchell O'Connor, Mary; Moran, Kevin Boxer; Murphy, Dara; Murphy, Eoghan; Naughten, Denis; Naughton, Hildegarde; Neville, Tom; Noonan, Michael; O'Connell, Kate; O'Donovan, Patrick; O'Dowd, Fergus; Phelan, John Paul; Ring, Michael; Rock, Noel; Ross, Shane; Stanton, David; Varadkar, Leo; Zappone, Katherine;
Adams, Gerry; Barry, Mick; Boyd Barrett, Richard; Brady, John; Broughan, Thomas P; Buckley, Pat; Burton, Joan; Collins, Joan; Collins, Michael; Connolly, Catherine; Coppinger, Ruth; Crowe, Seán; Cullinane, David; Daly, Clare; Doherty, Pearse; Donnelly, Stephen S; Ellis, Dessie; Ferris, Martin; Funchion, Kathleen; Healy, Seamus; Healy-Rae, Danny; Howlin, Brendan; Kelly, Alan; Kenny, Gino; Kenny, Martin; McDonald, Mary Lou; McGrath, Mattie; Mitchell, Denise; Munster, Imelda; Murphy, Catherine; Murphy, Paul; Nolan, Carol; Ó Broin, Eoin; Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín; Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh; Ó Snodaigh, Aengus; O'Brien, Jonathan; O'Reilly, Louise; O'Sullivan, Jan; Penrose, Willie; Pringle, Thomas; Quinlivan, Maurice; Ryan, Brendan; Sherlock, Sean; Shortall, Róisín; Smith, Bríd; Stanley, Brian; Tóibín, Peadar; Wallace, Mick;
Tá, Deputies Joe Carey and Paul Kehoe; Níl, Deputies Mick Barry and Aengus ÓSnodaigh;
Question declared carried.
