Who's who around the new Cabinet table
Bertie Ahern:
Taoiseach
Has been Taoiseach since June 1997. In 2002 he led the first government to be returned to power since 1969.
He was first elected to the Dáil in 1977 for the constituency of Dublin-Finglas and has represented Dublin Central constituency since 1981.
He was tánaiste between November and December 1994, and has previously held the cabinet posts of minister for finance (1991-1994), minister for industry and commerce (January 1993), minister for arts, culture and the gaeltacht (November - December 1994) and minister for labour (1987-1991).
Mary Harney:
Tánaiste and Minister for Health
Has been Tánaiste since 1997 and now takes on the potentially difficult portfolio of Health and Children where several reform plans, including the controversial Hanly proposals on hospital structures, remain to be implemented. She has been minister for enterprise, trade and employment since 1997. First elected to the Dáil as a Fianna Fáil candidate in 1981, she was a founder member of the Progressive Democrats in 1985 and became leader of the party in 1993. She was minister of state at the department of the environment with responsibility for environmental protection from 1989 to 1992.
Séamus Brennan:
Minister for Social, Community & Family Affairs
Moves from the Department of Transport to the lower profile position of Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs.
A former general secretary of Fianna Fáil, Séamus Brennan was first elected to the Dáil in 1981, having been a taoiseach's nominee to the Seanad from 1977-1981. He was appointed minister for transport and tourism in 1989, the first of three occasions in which he held the transport portfolio. He later served as minister for education from 1993-1994. He was government chief whip between 1997 and 2002.
Michael McDowell:
Minister for Justice
The former attorney general remains on as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, his first Cabinet post, which he has held since 2002.
He was first elected to the Dáil in 1987 for the constituency of Dublin South East but lost his seat in 1989, regaining it in 1992. He failed to be re-elected in 1997 but topped the poll in the May 2002 general election. A leading senior counsel, he served as attorney general to the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats coalition from 1999 to 2002.
Brian Cowen:
Minister for Finance
Appointed as the new Minister for Finance as widely forecast.
A former solicitor from Tullamore, Co Offaly, he has previously served as minister for foreign affairs and minister for health since the election of the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats coalition in 1997.
He was first elected to the Dáil in June 1984 in a by-election caused by the death of his father Bernard Cowen. He was appointed to the cabinet as minister for labour by Taoiseach Albert Reynolds in February 1992. He later served as minister for transport, energy and communications between January 1993 and December 1994.
Micheál Martin:
Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment
Appointed as the new Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment after spending four years tackling the problems of the health services, where his main achievement was the introduction of the smoking ban in enclosed workplaces.
First elected to the Dáil in 1989, he was appointed to the cabinet in 1997 as minister for education before moving to the Department of Health in January 2000. He was reappointed minister for health after the 2002 general election.
Mary Hanafin:
Minister for Education
Elevated to the Cabinet for the first time yesterday as Minister for Education. She has been Government chief whip since June 2002.
A former secondary school teacher, she was first elected to the Dáil for the constituency of Dún Laoghaire in 1997.
She was appointed as minister of state at the departments of health, justice, equality and law reform and education with special responsibility for children, where she served between 2000 and 2002.
Dermot Ahern:
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Moves to the Department of Foreign Affairs from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. He will play a key role in the talks with the DUP on a deal for the North.
First elected to the Dáil in 1987, he has been a Cabinet minister since 1997, first as minister for social and community affairs and later as minister for communications.
He previously served as government chief whip, between November 1991 and February 1992.
Mary Coughlan:
Minister for Agriculture
The first woman to be appointed as Minister for Agriculture. She had served as minister for social, community and family affairs, her first Cabinet post, since June 2002 where she was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over proposals to cut back allowances to widows.
First elected to the Dáil for the constituency of Donegal South West in 1987, she was minister of state at the department of arts, heritage, gaeltacht and the islands from 2001 to 2002.
John O'Donoghue:
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Remains on as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, the portfolio to which he was appointed following the general election in 2002. A native of Cahirciveen in Co Kerry, he was first elected to the Dáil for the Kerry South constituency in 1987.
He served as minister of state at the department of finance between November 1991 and February 1992.
He was first appointed to the cabinet after Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats were elected to power in 1997, where he served as minister for justice until 2002.
Eamon Ó Cuív:
Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
One of three Ministers to retain their portfolios, Eamon Ó Cuív has been in the Cabinet since the re-election of the Fianna Fáil /Progressive Democrat coalition in June 2002.
He was first elected to the Dáil in 1992 and served as a minister of state for arts, heritage, gaeltacht and the islands from 1997 to 2001. He serves the Galway West constituency.
He was appointed as minister of state for agriculture in 2001 with responsibility for rural development.
Noel Dempsey:
Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
Moves to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources after spending four years as minister for education.
The former career guidance teacher ran into trouble in Education when his proposals for the reintroduction of third-level fees failed to win support among Cabinet colleagues.
First elected to the Dáil for the Meath constituency in 1987, he was appointed to the cabinet for the first time 10 years later as minister for the environment and local government during Mr Ahern's first administration. He had previously served as government chief whip between 1993 and 1994.
Dick Roche:
Minister for the Environment
The former minister of state with responsibility for European affairs was elevated to the Cabinet for the first time yesterday and will serve as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The former university lecturer was first elected to the Dáil in 1987 but lost his seat in the Wicklow constituency in 1992. Between 1993 and 1997 he was a member of the Seanad. He was appointed as minister of state with responsibility for European affairs in 2002 and played a key role in the public debate that gave the green light to the Nice Treaty on the second referendum.
Willie O'Dea:
Minister for Defence
Finally appointed to the Cabinet after years of being tipped for elevation. He serves as Minister for Defence in the reshuffled Cabinet.
A massive vote-getter in the Limerick East constituency, he was first elected to the Dáil in February 1982.
A barrister and accountant by profession, he has been minister of state for justice with responsibility for equality issues including services for the disabled since June 2002. He had previously served as a minister of state at the departments of health and education.
Martin Cullen:
Minister for Transport
Moves to the Department of Transport from Environ- ment where he faced criticism after spending more than €50 million on the failed e-voting project.
First elected to the Dáil as a Progressive Democrats deputy in 1987, he later joined Fianna Fáil. He was the first Waterford deputy to be appointed to the Cabinet for many years when he became minister for the environment and local government on the re-election of the Fianna Fáil/PD coalition in June 2002. He had previously served as minister of state for finance with responsibility for the Office of Public Works from 1997 to 2002.
Tom Kitt:
Government Chief Whip
The Galway-born former national school teacher is the new Chief Whip. First elected to the Dáil in 1987, he was appointed as a minister of state at the department of the taoiseach in 1992 with responsibility for arts, culture, women's affairs and European affairs. He was minister of state for foreign affairs from 1993-1994. From 1997-2000 he was in enterprise, trade and employment with responsibility for labour affairs, consumer rights and international trade. In June 2002 he was reappointed to Foreign Affairs with responsibility for overseas development and human rights.
Rory Brady:
Attorney General
Has been the Attorney General since the return of the Fianna Fáil/ Progressive Democrats coalition in June 2002, and will continue to serve as the main legal adviser to the Government.
Over the last two years he has been involved in a number of delicate decisions including the proposed new fee payment structure for tribunal lawyers. He also advised the Government on the decision to present a resolution to the Oireachtas aimed at seeking the impeachment of Judge Brian Curtin, who was acquitted on a charge of possessing child pornography.