Richard Bruton has again said he does not want to be moved in a cabinet reshuffle.
The former Fine Gael deputy leader said he has not finished his job of trying to restore full employment, in his capacity as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation.
A reshuffle could occur within three weeks, once the new leader of the Labour Party has been elected.
Bruton said he was given a specific task, and that he'd like the time to finish it.
"We set a target for 2016 of 100,000 [jobs]. I think we're making good progress for that, and that's really something I've a great passion for," he said.
"But I stand in my position at the discretion of the Taoiseach, of course."