Helen McEntee appointed Justice Minister as Michéal Martin's Cabinet takes shape
Helen McEntee and Norma Foley have been appointed to Cabinet as Michéal Martin puts together his government.
Ms McEntee has been named as Justice Minister, a major promotion, with Ms Foley, a first-time TD from Kerry, named Minister for Education.
They will be joined at Cabinet by Stephen Donnelly, who has been named as the new Minister for Health, along with Darragh O'Brien, who will be Minister for Housing and Barry Cowen who will take on the Agriculture and the Marine role. Fianna Fáil's contingent will be filled out by Michael McGrath, who will be Minister for Public Expenditure.
The Green Party's Eamon Ryan will be Minister for Transport, Communication Networks and Climate Change, with his deputy leader Catherine Martin taking on Culture, Arts, Media, Tourism and Sport, while Roderic O'Gorman becomes Minister for Equality, Children, Integration and Disability.
Helen McEntee understood to have been given Justice. A major promotion for the popular EU affairs minister. This likely leaves Social Protection for Simon Harris-if he is being kept in Cabinet #iestaff
— Juno McEnroe (@Junomaco) June 27, 2020
Simon Harris will move to a newly established Higher Education, Science and Innovation role, with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar taking on the Enterprise, Trade and Employment brief and Simon Coveney keeping Foreign Affairs as well as taking on Defence.
Heather Humphreys will take on the Department of Social Protection and Rural Affairs and the Islands and Paschal Donohoe will stay put in Finance.
Fianna Fáil's Deputy Leader Dara Calleary has surprisingly been overlooked for the full cabinet, being named Government Chief Whip. He will be joined at Cabinet by Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett, who will be a super junior minister with responsibility for land use and biodiversity and Fine Gael's Hildegarde Naughten, who will take on the junior transport role.
Senior Counsel Paul Gallagher will become Attorney General.
