MARY BUTLER (Fianna Fáil) – Government chief whip and Minister of State for mental health
Mary Butler (58) has been appointed Government chief whip and super junior Minister.
A Fianna Fáil TD since 2016, she was minister of State for mental health and older people in the last government, introducing legislation including safeguarding measures. She expressed concern that families might be incentivised to put elderly relatives into care when then minister for housing Darragh O’Brien proposed to allow tax-free rental of the homes of relatives in nursing homes.
From Portlaw, she ran a family grocery business for 17 years in the town and was a councillor from 2014 to 2016.
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NOEL GREALISH (Independent) – super junior Minister of State for food innovation and exports
After 22 years in the Dáil, Noel Grealish becomes a super junior Minister.
A TD since 2002, he was elected as a member of the Progressive Democrats for Galway West and, in 2007, took on the leadership role until the party was disbanded.
The 58-year-old Carnmore-based TD has a formidable constituency organisation as an Independent.
He has courted controversy including in 2019 when he made comments in the Dáil about remittances being sent to Nigeria. He was also involved in the Golfgate scandal, attending a dinner during the Covid pandemic restrictions.
SEÁN CANNEY (Independent) – super junior Minister of State for Transport
Former Independent minister of State for the OPW and for community development Seán Canney (64) takes on a super junior ministerial role in the Department of Transport.
One of his priorities is the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor.
The Tuam, Co Galway, TD comes from a farming family and is a quantity surveyor. Before his election in 2016 to the Dáil, he was a lecturer in construction economics and quantity surveying.
He served previously as a minister of State from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2018 to 2020.
HILDEGARDE NAUGHTON (Fine Gael) – super junior Minister of State and Fine Gael whip
Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton, the former government chief whip, retains her super junior Minister status as Fine Gael whip.
The former primary schoolteacher (47) was elected to Galway City Council in 2009 and became mayor in 2011.
Nominated to the Seanad for Fine Gael in 2013, she first won a Dáil seat in 2016. In 2020 she was appointed as a super junior minister of State in the departments of Climate Change and Transport, subsequently moving to health, where she had responsibility for drugs strategy. She is an accomplished, classically trained soprano.
JENNIFER MURNANE O’CONNOR (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for health
Fianna Fáil’s Jennifer Murnane O’Connor (58) becomes a Minister of State in her second Dáil term. The Carlow-Kilkenny TD is a former councillor who took over the seat held by her late father, Jimmy Murnane.
She won a Seanad seat on the Labour panel in 2016 before election to the Dáil in 2020.
She has four children and previously worked in retail.
NIAMH SMYTH (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for enterprise, trade and employment
A former art teacher, Niamh Smyth (46) came to prominence for her savvy chairing of the Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, during the investigation of the controversy over RTÉ spending.
First elected for Fianna Fáil in 2016 in Cavan-Monaghan, she previously worked as an arts and education officer for the Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board.
From Knockbride in Co Cavan, she was a councillor from 2009 until 2016 and has a daughter.
EMER HIGGINS (Fine Gael) – Minister of State for public expenditure, NDP delivery and reform
Dublin midwest Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins (38) retains a Minister of State role in the new Government.
A graduate of UCD, where she was a member of the students’ union, she worked for former Fine Gael minister Frances FitzGerald. She was a member of South Dublin County Council from 2011 until 2020 when elected to the Dáil.
Ms Higgins worked as chief of staff of global operations with PayPal and has been vocal on the need for social-media companies to tackle online abuse, and on youth issues.
THOMAS BYRNE (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for European affairs
Fianna Fáil Meath East TD Thomas Byrne is likely to be disappointed not to have made Cabinet but his role as Minister of State for European affairs is probably one of the most significant and high-profile junior ministerial roles.
He previously held the position when the last government was formed, but then moved portfolios to have responsibility for sport and the Gaeltacht.
Mr Byrne (47) was first elected as a TD in 2007, but on losing his seat in 2011 was elected to the Seanad before regaining his Dáil seat in 2016.
Fluent in Irish, he took on the role of Gaeltacht minister in April last year after responsibility for the ministry was transferred back to Fianna Fáil.
CHARLIE McCONALOGUE (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for sport and postal policy
One of the more coveted Minister of State roles, the sports portfolio is a consolation prize after the shock loss of his place at Cabinet for Charlie McConalogue (47).
Theformer minister for agriculture has been a TD for Donegal since 2011.
Married with two sons, he comes from a farming background and was educated at UCD. He subsequently worked at Fianna Fáil headquarters for a number of years before returning to the family farm in Carndonagh.
He was elected to Donegal County Council in 2009, was appointed minister of State for justice in 2020 and then to the senior agriculture portfolio.
He faced challenges in dealing with the Mercosur international trade deal and had the at times tricky task of reassuring farmers concerned with the impact of Green Party policies.
ROBERT TROY (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for financial services, credit unions and insurance
Longford-Westmeath TD Robert Troy (42) returns to the junior ministerial ranks just over two years after resigning as a minister of State for enterprise amid controversy over his failure to properly declare his property interests.
An investigation by the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) for the years 2020 and 2021 found he had contravened part of the Ethics Act by his failure to declare fully some properties he owned and other interests but concluded that he had “acted in good faith”.
A TD since his first general election attempt in 2011, the father of one previously worked in banking and financial institutions before returning to Ballynacarrigy to take over the family post office in 2003. He served as a councillor from 2004 until 2011.
MICHAEL HEALY-RAE (Independent) – Minister of State for forestry
After years spent as a frequent critic of successive governments, Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae (57) will now be a Minister of State for forestry at the Department of Agriculture.
The flat-cap wearing TD was first elected to Kerry County Council in 1999 and subsequently won the Dáil seat vacated by his father Jackie in 2011.
The father of five is a postmaster and service-station owner in Kilgarvan. A plant-hire contractor and farmer, he has been the biggest landlord in the Dáil in the annual declarations of TD interests.
KEVIN ‘BOXER’ MORAN (Independent) – Minister of State for the OPW
A veteran of the 2016-2020 coalition government, Kevin “Boxer” Moran lost his seat after serving as an Independent Alliance Minister of State at the OPW.
Originally a Fianna Fáil councillor, he unsuccessfully challenged for a place on its 2007 Dáil election ticket before going Independent.
Described as “very loyal” to the government he served in, he is taxi driver by profession.
CHRISTOPHER O’SULLIVAN (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for housing, local government and heritage
Cork southwest TD Christopher O’Sullivan (42) becomes a Minister of State in his second term as a TD.
Son of former deputy Christy, he served as a councillor from 2007 until elected to the Dáil in 2020.
A law, politics and Spanish graduate from UCC, the Clonakilty native is a keen birdwatcher and a guide with a whale watching company in Courtmacsherry.
NEALE RICHMOND (Fine Gael) – Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Dublin Rathdown TD Neale Richmond (41) retains a role as a Minister of State, appointed to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
First elected to the Dáil in 2020, he served as a senator from 2016 when he gained a high profile, focusing on Brexit and regularly appearing in British media, cogently arguing and defending Ireland’s position. He served as a minister of State most recently in finance and previously in the Department of Enterprise.
First elected as a Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown councillor in 2009, he studied politics at UCD and worked in Brussels for then Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell and in Dublin as parliamentary assistant to Olivia Mitchell.
KIERAN O’DONNELL (Fine Gael) – Minister of State for older people and for housing
Outgoing minister of State for the OPW Kieran O’Donnell (61) returns to the junior minister ranks with responsibility for housing and older people.
The TD for Limerick City was first elected to the Dáil for Fine Gael in 2007, lost the seat in 2016 and moved to the Seanad, before regaining a Dáil seat in 2020.
A chartered accountant from Castletroy, Co Limerick, he is a nephew of the late former Fine Gael minister and MEP Tom O’Donnell. The father of four has a business studies degree from University of Limerick.
ALAN DILLON (Fine Gael) – Minister of State for small business and for the circular economy
Former Mayo footballer Alan Dillon (42) was first elected to the Dáil in 2020 and promoted to minister of State for housing when Simon Harris became Fine Gael leader and taoiseach last year.
A key member of the influential Public Accounts Committee, winning kudos for his grilling of the RTÉ board during the station’s pay controversy, he is from Ballintubber and is a father of two.
NIALL COLLINS (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for justice
Limerick County Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins (51) retains his position as a Minister of State, this time in the Department of Justice.
A native of Patrickswell, he is a member of the well-known Collins political dynasty following in the footsteps of a grandfather and two uncles. First elected to the Dáil in 2007 he has held his seat comfortably since.
In 2019, he lost his front-bench role as spokesman on jobs after it emerged he voted six times for a party colleague while he was absent from the Dáil chamber.
MICHAEL MOYNIHAN (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion
After 27 years as a TD, Michael Moynihan (57) becomes Minister of State for Education. First elected in 1997, he retained his seat at each subsequent election, surviving Fianna Fáil’s decimation in the 2011 election.
The father of three from Kiskeam is a farmer, with a family dairy operation.
In the last Dáil he was chairman of the Committee on Disability Matters, an area in which he has particular interest following his son’s autism diagnosis in 2020.
JERRY BUTTIMER (Fine Gael) – Minister of State for community development and for rural transport
Former secondary schoolteacher Jerry Buttimer (57) first entered the Oireachtas as a Senator in 2007. He won a Dáil seat in 2011 but lost it in 2016 and was unsuccessful in 2020, spending a further eight years in the Seanad before his re-election for Cork South-Central in the general election.
The new Minister of State attended UCC and studied for the priesthood for six years.
JOHN CUMMINS (Fine Gael) – Minister of State for local government and planning
Former senator John Cummins (37) is a new TD for Waterford but served as a senator from 2020.
A former PE and geography teacher he has been heavily involved in scouting, theatre and sports.
First elected to Waterford City Council at the age of 21, he has served as mayor of Waterford twice. His father is former Seanad leader Maurice Cummins.
MARIAN HARKIN (Independent) – Minister of State for further and higher education
After more than two decades as a TD and MEP Marian Harkin (71) becomes Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education.
The Independent TD is described as a “very effective and experienced” politician who constantly raised issues of importance to Sligo-Leitrim in the Dáil.
From Ballintogher, Co Sligo, the former teacher was first elected to the Dáil in 2002 and was elected to the European Parliament three times from 2004.
COLM BROPHY (Fine Gael) – Minister of State for migration
Dublin southwest TD Colm Brophy (58) has been appointed to possibly the most challenging Minister of State portfolio, with responsibility for the contentious issue of migration.
It is a significant promotion after he was dropped as a minister of State for overseas development in the 2022 reshuffle, a role he held for two years.
His Dáil wife Maeve O’Connell was elected to the Dáil in the general election for Dublin Rathdown. The couple lives in Kilmacud.
He is from Cabinteely, Co Dublin, studied business at the former Rathmines College of Commerce and was co-founder of an events management company.
He was Fine Gael councillor in South Dublin County Council from 2008 to 2016.
TIMMY DOOLEY (Fianna Fáil) – Minister of State for fisheries and for the marine
After 22 years in politics Timmy Dooley (55) has been appointed a Minister of State. A promotion after his return to the Dáil for the Clare TD who lost his seat in 2020.
He was unsuccessful in the Seanad election that year but received a taoiseach’s nomination to the Upper House where he previously served from 2002 to 2007 when he was first elected to the Dáil.
From Mountshannon, he is a UCD commerce graduate who previously worked in business development and was involved in the 2019 Votegate scandal.
