Minister for Agriculture for the last four years, Michael Creed needed his reputation for calm as his initially quiet portfolio erupted on to the mainstream in the last two years with farmer protests over beef prices and agriculture's role in climate change.

The Macroom native (56) made headlines when he warned that he would ensure “everything is done to frustrate, mitigate, to dismantle” elements of the officially welcomed EU Mercosur deal with South America allowing beef imports.

Son of the late former minister of state Donal Creed and an assiduous constituency worker in the Macroom-Ballincollig area, he was first elected to the Dáil in 1989, lost his seat to his Fine Gael running mate in 2002, before regaining it in 2007, and topping the poll in 2011.

He supported Richard Bruton for the party leadership in 2010 against Enda Kenny and was not re-appointed to the front bench but in 2016 he was appointed Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.