Michael Healy-Rae set for junior ministry as Simon Harris to take on Donald Trump trade threats in beefed-up Foreign Affairs role
International trade added to Fine Gael leader’s portfolioJunior ministry agreed with Healy-Rae brothersAgreement with Regional Independents tied downCommitment for 9pc Vat rate for the food, hospitality and services sector
Simon Harris will be given a tough new role heading up the next government’s response to US president-elect Donald Trump’s threat to trade and foreign investment.
The incoming tánaiste will take a beefed-up role as foreign affairs minister, with international trade also being added on.
His move will come amid a shake-up of departments that is expected to see Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael swap the two most troublesome departments: Justice and Health.
An agreement with the Regional Independent Group is now tied down.
Meanwhile, a deal has been struck with the Healy-Rae brothers, Michael and Danny, with a junior ministry agreed, RTÉ has reported.
Speaking outside Leinster House this morning, Michael Healy-Rae told reporters he will be a junior minister, though the portfolio is yet to be decided.
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Their bid for a cabinet ministry was rejected, the Irish Independent understands.
Fianna Fail TD James Lawless described five weeks of “very intense, very rigorous engagement” in the lead-up to agreeing a coalition government involving four groups, saying it was “cordial but robust”.
He said the new government will have a “comfortable majority” of 95.
He told RTE’s Morning Ireland: “We’ve produced a programme for government which runs to some 200 pages, which I think captures the essence of what Ireland needs for the next five years to be a strong, successful, dynamic, modern nation, right across things like digitalisation, like sustainable energy, like investing in our health and education systems, housing, of course, and really steeling ourselves for the five years ahead, which could be uncertain, which could be turbulent both home and abroad.
“We have a comfortable majority, and it’s really important that, when the government sets to work putting in place this programme, we’re not having to be constantly looking over our shoulder and firefighting in the Dail chamber.
“The ministers that are appointed, and that will ultimately be up to the Taoiseach and the party leaders to decide on the 22nd, next week, but they can get into the departments and get on with the business of running the country.”
The draft programme for government, meanwhile, commits to reintroducing the lower 9pc Vat rate for the food, hospitality and services sector – but not until later in the year.
The coalition will also create a Minister for Children and Disabilities, to ensure services for people with special needs get full cabinet representation.
A rejig of departments means Fianna Fáil will have eight senior posts in the Cabinet and Fine Gael will have seven positions. A draft list has Fianna Fáil getting the taoiseach role, as well as Public Expenditure, Housing, Justice, Social Protection, Transport, Children and Higher Education.
Fine Gael will take Foreign Affairs, Finance, Enterprise, Health, Education, Agriculture and Arts.
In compromise deals, big election ideas from Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin for new departments have been watered down.
Mr Harris’s “minister for infrastructure” idea has been ditched. Instead, there will be an expanded minister for public expenditure role, to include infrastructure, reform and digitalisation.
A new unit with more staff in the existing department will be set up to focus on delivery of infrastructure projects.
Mr Martin’s separate “Department of Domestic Affairs” is also gone. The area of domestic affairs, especially immigration and housing of asylum-seekers, will go to the Department of Justice.
The Finance brief will go to Fine Gael, with Paschal Donohoe again expected to take up the role. Jack Chambers is tipped to move to the expanded Public Expenditure role.
Mr Harris wanted to create a new standalone Department of Infrastructure, Climate and Transport.
Fine Gael’s general election manifesto said this would allow for more efficient delivery of major projects, and support delivery of housing and climate targets.
However, Mr Martin was opposed to the move and has vetoed it. The Fianna Fáil leader felt it would hamper the delivery of schools, roads and hospitals by lumping them into one office and giving line departments no responsibilities.
Trade is going to move to the Department of Foreign Affairs from the Department of Enterprise. Mr Harris is expected to take up the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence portfolios next week, and putting trade policy into Iveagh House is a way to beef up the role.
The details around the break-up of the Green Party’s portfolios are still being worked out. Immigration is expected to move from the Department of Children to the Department of Justice.
Tourism is supposed to move from the Department of Culture to the Department of Enterprise. Rural and Community Affairs will also take on responsibility for the Gaeltacht.
But the most significant moves will be around the dismantling of Eamon Ryan’s old jobs of Climate, Communications, Energy and Transport. Communications will move out and is expected to go to the Arts department, where Media and Culture already sits.
The share-out of the Greens’ cabinet seats between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael gives Mr Martin and Mr Harris plenty of room for promotions.
The pair already had vacancies after Health Minister Stephen Donnelly lost his seat, leaving a Fianna Fáil space to be filled, while Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys has retired on the Fine Gael side.
The Regional Independent TDs, headed by Michael Lowry, will not be getting a full cabinet ministry, but will get two “super junior” ministers who sit at cabinet. There are three such roles, with Fianna Fáil keeping one as the government chief whip goes with the taoiseach.
The roles are expected to be allocated to Galway East TD Seán Canney and Noel Grealish, TD for Galway West.
Marian Harkin, of Sligo-Leitrim, and Longford-Westmeath’s Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran will hold the junior ministerial roles.
The deal to form the new government is expected to be finalised in the next 24 hours to allow it to be approved by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs tonight. The coalition parties also have meetings lined up this weekend for party members to vote on the deal.
On the Fianna Fáil side, current cabinet members Mr Chambers, Darragh O’Brien and Norma Foley are safe. But there is uncertainty around Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue, with talk of him being dropped from cabinet.
In the contest for promotion are junior ministers Dara Calleary, Mary Butler, James Browne, James Lawless, Niall Collins and Timmy Dooley.
In Fine Gael, Mr Harris is expected to retain Mr Donohoe, deputy leader Helen McEntee, Peter Burke and Patrick O’Donovan in the Cabinet. The focus on elevation to the senior ranks is on Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Hildegarde Naughton and Martin Heydon.
The Fine Gael leader is likely to have to promote some new TDs to the junior ministerial ranks, such as former senator Jerry Buttimer.
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