January 23, 2025: Taoiseach Micheal Martin (left) with his Cabinet of Ministers.Merrion Street, X

After being elected in the Dáil as Ireland's new Taoiseach on Thursday, Micheál Martin revealed his Government appointments, or Cabinet of Ministers.

Each Minister of the Government is responsible for running and managing the department they have been allocated. Meanwhile, Ministers of State, or Junior Ministers, help run departments.

On Thursday, Martin appointed 14 Ministers, three Super Junior Ministers, as well as the Attorney General and the Government Chief Whip.

There are eight Fianna Fáil ministerial appointments, including the Taoiseach, and seven Fine Gael ministerial appointments.

Two Independents and one Fine Gael member were appointed to Super Junior Minister roles. 

Addressing Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy in the Dáil on Thursday, the new Taoiseach said: "The government which I am nominating today is a government which will work every day to protect Ireland’s strength at this moment of real threat, and it will also take sustained action to address critical social needs.

"Each member of the new government will have responsibility for a distinct programme of action, but each will also be required to actively contribute to the government’s core priorities.

"A whole-of-government approach, taking key issues out of departmental silos and delivering action on multiple fronts at once, will be a defining characteristic of the government’s work.

"In a number of priority areas, a series of new coordination mechanisms will be put in place which will be led from the Taoiseach’s office."

The new government's priorities, the Taoiseach said on Thursday, are "Ireland’s Place in Europe and the World," a strong economy, education, children and disability, communities, justice and migration, housing, rural Ireland, climate, energy and transport, and health.

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Ireland's new Government, or Cabinet of Ministers:

  • Tánaiste (Deputy Taoiseach), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence: Simon Harris, leader of Fine Gael, TD for Wicklow
  • Minister for Finance: Paschal Donohoe, Fine Gael, TD for Dublin Central
  • Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation: Jack Chambers, Fianna Fáil, TD for Dublin West
  • Minister for Education and Youth: Helen McEntee, Fine Gael, TD for Meath East
  • Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport: Darragh O'Brien, Fianna Fáil, TD for Dublin Fingal East
  • Minister for Children, Disability and Equality: Norma Foley, Fianna Fáil, TD for Kerry
  • Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Peter Burke, Fine Gael, TD for Longford-Westmeath
  • Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht: Dara Calleary, Fianna Fáil, TD for Mayo
  • Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Patrick O'Donovan, Fine Gael, TD for Limerick County
  • Minister for Health: Jennifer Carroll McNeill, Fine Gael, TD for Dún Laoghaire
  • Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: James Browne, Fianna Fáil, TD for Wexford
  • Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Jim O’Callaghan, Fianna Fáil, TD for Dublin Bay South
  • Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine: Martin Heydon, Fine Gael, TD for Kildare South
  • Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: James Lawless, Fianna Fáil, TD for Kildare North

Ireland's new Super Junior Ministers:

Super Junior Ministers are allowed to sit at Cabinet, but not allowed to speak at it.

  • Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Disability: Hildegarde Naughton, Fine Gael, TD for Galway West
  • Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Food Promotion, New Markets, Research and Development: Noel Grealish, Independent, TD for Galway West
  • Minister of State cabinet with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports: Sean Canney, Independent, TD for Galway East

Additionally, Rossa Fanning SC has been reappointed as Attorney General. In Ireland, the Attorney General is not a member of the Government but they traditionally attend Cabinet meetings.

Fianna Fáil TD for Waterford Mary Butler has been appointed Government Chief Whip, as well as Minister of State attending cabinet with responsibility for Mental Health. In Ireland, the Government Chief Whip is responsible for the organization and coordination of Government business in Dáil Éireann and acts as a channel of communication between the Government and the opposition parties.

The Chief Whip is also responsible for making sure that the Government has a voting majority in the Dáil by making sure that TDs attend Dáil sessions when a vote is being taken.

The Taoiseach said on Thursday: "In addition, in the coming days I will take steps to propose further Deputies to serve as Ministers of State covering an expanded range of responsibilities in order to fully address the priorities set out in the programme for government."

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After the Taoiseach made his Cabinet appointments in the Dáil, the newly-appointed Ministers traveled to Áras an Uachtaráin where President Michael D. Higgins signed the Warrant of Appointment for the Members of the Government and the Warrant of Appointment of the Attorney General.

The President also presented Ministers with their Seals of Office.

Afterward,  the first meeting of the Cabinet of Ireland's 35th Government was held.