James Cox
The Government has completed its list of 23 junior ministers, a record number.
The list of 19 junior ministers today is in addition to the four super junior ministers: chief whip Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael), chief whip Mary Butler (Fianna Fáil), with special responsibilites for mental health, Sean Canney (Regional Independent Group) - super junior in the Department of Transport with responsibility for ports, roads, and Noel Grealish (Regional Independent Group) – a super junior ministerial role on food innovation and exports at the Department of Agriculture.
Dublin Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy will take up the new role of Minister of State for Migration.
Robert Troy, who resigned amid controversy over regulatory filings in 2022, returns as a junior minister at the Department of Finance.
Former minister for agriculture Charlie McConalogue (Fianna Fáil), who was demoted, takes up the position of super junior minister with responsibility for sport and postal policy.
Fine Gael's Neale Richmond will be Tánaiste Simon Harris' junior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Fianna Fáil Niamh Smyth, who had been linked with a senior ministerial role, is junior minister with responsibility for trade promotion, artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
Kerry Independent Michael Healy-Rae is a junior minister with special responsibility for forestry, farm safety and horticulture.
The gender balance in Cabinet was criticised with only three women named as senior ministers, and opposition politicians have also been critical of the figure of six female junior ministers.
Speaking on RTÉ, Ged Nash, Labour finance spokesman, called the junior ministerial appointments a “baby minister bonanza”.
“What has this Government got against women? It’s 2025 not 1955,” he said.
Here is the full list of junior ministers:
Super junior ministers
Chief whip Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael).
Chief whip Mary Butler (Fianna Fáil), with special responsibilites for mental health.
Sean Canney (Regional Independent Group) - super junior in the Department of Transport with responsibility for ports, roads.
Noel Grealish (Regional Independent Group) – a super junior ministerial role on food innovation and exports at the Department of Agriculture.
Junior ministers
Thomas Byrne TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European Affairs and at the Department of Defence
Michael Moynihan TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion
Charlie McConalogue TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media with Special Responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy
Kevin Boxer Moran TD (Regional Independent Group)
Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works
Emer Higgins TD (Fine Gael)
Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with special responsibility for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy
Michael Healy-Rae TD (Independent)
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture
Neale Richmond TD (Fine Gael)
Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora
Jerry Buttimer TD (Fine Gael)
Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, with special responsibility for Community Development, Charities, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport
John Cummins TD (Fine Gael)
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Local Government and Planning
Christopher O’Sullivan TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity
Kieran O’Donnell TD (Fine Gael)
Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Older People and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Housing
Robert Troy TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance
Niall Collins TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice
Niamh Smyth TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation
Alan Dillon TD (Fine Gael)
Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Small Businesses and Retail and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for Circular Economy
The Government noted the intention, subject to the necessary amendments being made to the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No 2) Act 1977 to nominate the following persons to be appointed as Ministers of State:
Timmy Dooley TD (Fianna Fáil)
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Fisheries and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for the Marine
Colm Brophy TD (Fine Gael)
Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for Migration
Marian Harkin TD (Regional Independent Group)
Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with special responsibility for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills
