As it happened: Leo Varadkar becomes Taoiseach and announces new Cabinet

Main points - what happened on Saturday

• Leo Varadkar has been nominated as Taoiseach by the Dáil
• He has received the seal of office from President Michael D. Higgins
• Full details of the new Cabinet have been announced

‘The beauty and risk of Leo’: Pressure is on for Varadkar to deliver as taoiseach

In a series of interviews for this article, senior Government figures, Fine Gael insiders, political aides and people who have worked – and continue to work – closely with Varadkar assess whether he can make good on the promise that underscored his political ascent or whether his weaknesses and multiple challenges he faces will overwhelm him.

Most importantly, Varadkar must juggle the dynamic between the three leaders that has ensured this Government has not at any stage come close to collapse. Martin has been seen as a consensus builder. The question is whether Varadkar can repeat the trick.

Read our profile of Leo Varadkar

Our politics team Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones have been analysing the events of the day and Cabinet reshuffle in a special episode of the Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan.

You can listen to the episode here.

Is the little-changed Cabinet a sign of stability or of stagnation?

Listen | 27:15

What happened in the Cabinet reshuffle? Not a lot, is one reasonable answer - there were no surprises, most ministers stayed where there were and any moves had been well flagged in advance.But the day’s events still raised interesting questions for our politics team Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones to answer on this episode of the Inside Politics podcast.Is the unchanged Cabinet a sign of stability - or a sign of stagnation and a death of new talent? How did Stephen Donnelly win the right to retain his position in Health?Why was Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers, moved sideways from chief whip to super junior in the Department of Transport, denied a bigger promotion?How can Micheál Martin lead his party while travelling the world as Minister for Foreign Affairs?

Full details of new Cabinet

Speaking as he nominated his new Cabinet, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said every crisis needs to now be treated as a national emergency.

“We must continue to act as a Government decisively with both eyes focused on serving our citizens.”

He announced his full Cabinet officially as follows:

Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin moves to Department Foreign Affairs;

Simon Coveney moves to the Department of Enterprise and Trade;

Darragh O’Brien stays at the Department of Housing;

Roderic O’Gorman stays at the Department of Children;

Simon Harris to the Department Higher Education and for six months Justice;

Hildegarde Naughten becomes Government Chief Whip;

Michael McGrath moves to the Department of Finance;

Paschal Donohoe moves to the Department of Public Expenditure and NDP;

Norma Foley stays at the Department of Education;

Heather Humphreys stays at the Social Protection and Rural Affairs;

Charlie McConalogue stays at the Department of Agriculture;

Catherine Martin stays at the Department of Arts, Media and Culture;

Eamon Ryan stays at the Department of Environment and Climate;

Jack Chambers as a super junior in the Department of Transport

Stephen Donnelly remains as Minister for Health

New Cabinet

Ministers have been told by Leo Varadkar where they will fit into the new Taoiseach’s Cabinet. Here is what we know so far:

• In an expected move, Darragh O’Brien has been told he will be remaining at the Department of Housing. The Green Party Ministers will remain in situ, as expected. Stephen Donnelly is to remain as Minister for Health in the new Cabinet. Norma Foley remains in the Department of Education, Charlie McConalogue is to remain as Minister for Agriculture, Jack Chambers will be super junior Minister at the Department of Transport,Simon Coveney will go to the Department of Enterprise and Trade which would put Micheál Martin in Department of Foreign Affairs as expected, Fine Gael TD Hildegarde Naughten is to become Chief Whip, Heather Humphreys has been re-appointed to both roles in Social Protection and Rural Affairs, Simon Harris is to be given the Justice portfolio for six months and will remain in Higher Education, In addition a new unit is going to be set up in the Department of Taoiseach to assist the Department of Children

Cabinet appointments

Leo Varadkar is now arriving back at Government Buildings from Áras an Uachtaráin where he received the seal of office from President Higgins, writes Jennifer Bray. He will begin the process of appointing his new Cabinet. Speculation is rife around Leinster House of a potential surprise appointment but for now they are only rumours, as the calls have yet to be made.

There’s not long to go. Ministers (and aspiring ministers) expect that calls will be made to go and visit their respective leaders and learn their fates any minute now. With the Dáil reconvening at 5.10pm, and convention of a Cabinet photo to be taken in advance, they should know their fate in the next 90 minutes or so.

After receiving the seals from the president, Mr Varadkar said: “I’m honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to serve again. And I look forward to getting down to the hard work in the next few hours.”

Cabinet Reshuffle

Speculation is mounting in Leinster House this afternoon that Micheál Martin will become the Minister for Foreign Affairs and potentially also keep the portfolio of Defence, writes Jennifer Bray. Simon Coveney is then expected to become Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Leo Varadkar nominated as Taoiseach

Speaking in the Dáil after he was elected as Taoiseach for a second time, by a margin of 87 votes in favour to 62 votes against, with one abstention, Mr Varadkar said there are many challenges ahead, writes Jennifer Bray.

He said the Government is failing some citizens and this needed to be put right. “Ireland has never been a failed State, and it is grotesque and dishonest to claim that we are or we were. But we are failing some of our citizens, and it is essential to our success as a country that we put this right.”

The Fine Gael leader said many of the outstanding challenges need to be fixed now, particularly housing. He said the Government needs to go “all out” to address the housing crisis.

He also thanked Micheál Martin and said he had put the country before politics. He said the new Coalition was “born in a spirit of togetherness” during the pandemic and he intended for that to continue.

Mr Varadkar said he wanted to re-commit to supporting those affected by the war in Ukraine. He also referenced the Belfast Agreement and said fundamental elements of the agreement - the assembly and executive - are not yet functioning.

Mr Varadkar said he also wanted to make progress on the Northern Ireland protocol.

He said the Government needs to “do more” to address child poverty.

Accepting his nomination he said his mission was to work on what needed to be done for this generation and the next, providing hope and housing, economic opportunities and a fair start for all.

Varadkar vote imminent

The final few contributions by Opposition politicians have been made as the vote for Mr Varadkar gets under way in the next few minutes, writes Jennifer Bray.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín highlighted the crises in the CervicalCheck programme and the rising costs associated with the national children’s hospital.

Independent TD Michael Lowry said he would be supporting Mr Varadkar’s nomination, saying that while the Government is not “spectacular”, it is stable.

Independent TD Michael Healy Rae wished Mr Martin well and also said he wished Mr Varadkar “nothing but good luck and good fortune on this day.” He said, however, it is “not a good day for the thousands of homeless people and those on the housing list.” Neither was it a good day, he said, for those on waiting lists or the elderly.

Opposition reaction

Opposition parties continue to deliver speeches in the Dáil ahead of a vote before lunch which will put Leo Varadkar back in the Office of Taoiseach, writes Jennifer Bray

Soc Dems co-leader Catherine Murphy said the Government is clinging to housing targets which are out-of-date while the chances of reaching climate targets are “becoming increasingly remote”. She said the “handing over of the baton” from Mr Martin to Mr Varadkar “will not serve the people out there who need it” and said it only served to put an end to “the pretence that there was ever a difference between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.”

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said it was not a time for standing ovations, referring to the standing ovation given to Mr Martin after he concluded his speech. “Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have prioritised the few over the many,” he said. People Before Profit TD Brid Smith referred to a Bon Jovi song and said “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said her party could not support the nomination of Mr Varadkar arguing it represented only “a cosmetic change” She said “this Government is not delivering an Ireland that works for all.” “Far too many parents will struggle to heat homes this winter, to put food on the table for their children or ensure Santa brings a gift.” She said there were “ominous” signs for 2023 including job losses in tech and a slow down in construction.

Solidarity TD Mick Barry said that youth emigration is “starting up again in earnest.” “No party in this house is more in crisis than Deputy Varadkar’s party.” However he said to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald that the change people want will not be found in any future Coalition that involves Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil or in meetings with former ministers such as Mary Harney, after reports party spokespeople had met with her.

Micheál Martin addresses the Dáil

Jennifer Bray has been watching proceedings at Leinster House, she writes:

Before his speech in the Dáil, Micheál Martin expressed his sympathies and those of the Government to the family and loved ones of Private Seán Rooney.

Covid

The outgoing taoiseach, reflecting on his time in the role, began his speech by speaking about the challenges which were posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The weeks and months which followed were intense and challenging as we worked to both build new working relationships and respond to the rapidly evolving emergencies on hand.”

Mr Martin said “we unfortunately live in an increasingly polarised world. Everybody who participates in public life knows the impact of the ever-faster rush to judge others and the rising sharpness with which comments are made.” “I believe that we must not let this become the dominant way in which our public discourse is conducted.”

The Fianna Fáil leader said the “sense of community and resilience” of those days is “something I will never forget. It will always inspire me.”

He said that Government can only work if people “trust each other and respect each other’s mandates.” He thanked incoming taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan “for the close and highly constructive way in which they have worked to ensure cooperation in the government.”

Ukraine

Mr Martin also addressed the crisis posed by the war in Ukraine and the influx of refugees into Ireland. “The welcome which has been given to tens of thousands of refugees fleeing this war has been wonderful. It inevitably causes major pressures, but the values which are at stake are much bigger than the sacrifices which we must make while this assault on Ukraine is underway..”

Northern Ireland

Mr Martin also spoke about his Shared Ireland unit which he set up to create dialogue with communities and leaders in Northern Ireland. “If there is one thing we should all be able to acknowledge, it is that if we genuinely believe in an Ireland which includes and serves all, then we must be prepared to build new bridges. We must be prepared to reach across divides and to do the hard work of learning to understand and respect each other far more than we have in the past.

Family

He said that as he finishes his term in office, he wanted most of all to thank his wife Mary and family for their advice and support and “occasional criticism.” “We have been blessed by the wonderful community of Cork, which has looked out for us and given me the strongest possible reassurance that all would be well as I spent so much time away.”

Read her full report here

Lack of knives in Kildare Street won’t stop the back-stabbing when Leo hands out the jobs

From canteen chaos, Wallace’s wine and cheese party to Mountjoy matches, it was a busy week in politics, writes Miriam Lord.

The Coalition leaders’ annoyingly late swap-over summit on Friday night kept politicians and journalists guessing the destination of those few minor ministerial baubles well into the night. They seemed to be enjoying keeping the mystery going – could they spring a major surprise? Read Miriam’s piece here.

Pat Leahy: Changing taoiseach in midterm is a leap into the unknown for Irish politics

Difficulties will abound for Varadkar as the Coalition parties begin gearing up for a highly unpredictable general election, our political editor forecasts.

More difficult questions for the Coalition leaders involve the management of the internal politics of the reshuffle, the need to give the (new but still the same) Government fresh impetus while sticking to the agreed five-year programme for government and the inescapable fact that the longer the Government goes on, the nearer it will be to the next election, in which, like it or not, government TDs and candidates will be rivals.

Read the full story here.

Varadkar to become Taoiseach amid minimal Cabinet changes

Leo Varadkar will be elected Taoiseach for the second time today, as the three-party Coalition Government moves into its second and final phase, accompanied by what is expected to be a minimal reshuffling of Cabinet positions.

The outgoing Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is expected to take the foreign affairs portfolio, clearing the way for Simon Coveney to become Minister for Enterprise, replacing Mr Varadkar. Read our news story here.

How have ministers performed over the last 2½ years during a remarkable period which included a pandemic closely followed by a once in a generation cost-of-living surge all against the backdrop of an unremitting housing crisis?

Our politics team looks at how each of the ministers has handled the challenges within their briefs and mark their performance. We also examine who is likely to hold on to their jobs and who might be nervously watching the phone.

The ministerial score cards are in ...

Reshuffle looms: Leo Varadkar wants general election commitment from Fine Gael ministers

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told Fine Gael politicians that he will be seeking commitments from those he appoints as ministers that they will run in the next general election.

A reshuffle of Ministers will take place this weekend when Mr Varadkar returns to the Taoiseach’s office, but there is limited scope for major changes to senior ministerial roles and most moves are expected to take place in the junior ranks.

The Irish Times understands that the prospect of extra “super-junior” ministers being added is receding amid a fear in Government that politicians creating jobs for themselves would become the story of the reshuffle. Read the full story here.