Profiles of the members of the new cabinet. Five new faces will figure at the cabinet table as Mr Ahern sacks four Ministers.
The picture on the right shows the newly appointed Ministers at Aras an Uachtarain: from left, seated, Mr Charlie McCreevy, Minister for Finance, Mr Michael Smith, Minister for Defence, Mr Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach, the President, Mrs McAleese, Ms Mary Harney, Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Joe Walsh, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and Mr Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs. Standing from left, Ms Mary Hanafin, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and Government Chief Whip, Mr Eamonn O'Cuiv, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Michael McDowell, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Martin
Cullen, Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Seamus Brennan, Minister for Public Enterprise, Mr Noel Dempsey, Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dermot Ahern, Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr John O'Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Tourism
and Sport, Mr Micheal Martin, Minister for Health and Children, Ms
Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social, Community, and Family Affairs and Mr Rory Brady SC, Attorney General.
PROFILES:
BERTIE AHERN - The Taoiseach
Age: 50
Constituency: Dublin Central
First elected (to the Dáil): 1977
Political career: Leader of Fianna Fáil since November, 1994. Formerly held ministerial posts in Finance, Industry and Commerce, Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht and Labour. Was first appointed Taoiseach on June 26th, 1997. Before entering politics, he worked as an accountant.
Immediate challenges: Meeting a demand for improved public services, and prioritising competing intrastructural interests, in uncertain economic times.
MARY HARNEY - Tanaiste, Enterprise, Trade & Employment
Age: 49
Constituency: Dublin Mid West
First elected: 1981
Political career: Leader of Progressive Democrats since 1993. Retains positions from last government.
Immediate challenges: Hopes to pursue a policy of regulatory reform, and free-up competition in all sectors of the economy. Her plans to privatise a number of semi-state companies, including Aer Lingus, are, however, likely to be opposed both in Cabinet and outside.
JOE WALSH -Agriculture & Food
Age: 49
Constituency: Cork South West
First elected: 1977
Political career: Previously served as Minister for Agriculture on three separate occasions.
Immediate challenges: Must negotiate the mid-term review of the EU's farm policy in Agenda 2000 to protect Irish agricultural interests. He will also have to pressurise the EU to protect the Irish agricultural sector in the forthcoming World Trade Agreement talks and to guide the sector through the next Irish Presidency of the EU in 2004.
MICHAEL SMITH - Defence
Age: 61
Constituency: Tipperary North
First elected: 1969
Political career: Served as Minister for Defence in last government. Formerly held ministerial posts in Environment, Education and Energy.
Immediate challenges: Will oversee the Defence Forces' entry into the European Rapid Reaction Force next year. This will require sensitive political handling, particularly with the prospect of a second Nice referendum. Will also continue the major re-equipping and re-building programme for the Defence Forces.
MICHAEL McDOWELL - Justice
Age: 51
Constituency: Dublin South East
First elected: 1987
Political career: Twice lost his seat but regained it by topping the poll. A senior council, he served as Attorney General in the last administration.
Immediate challenges: Has to deal with the fall-out from the public inquiry into allegations of corrupt activity by gardai in Donegal. Will also oversee the establishment of an Independent Garda Inspectorate.
SEAMUS BRENNAN - Transport
Age: 54
Constituency: Dublin South
First elected: 1981
Political career: Formerly held ministerial posts in Education, Tourism, Transport and Communications and Tourism and Transport. Was Minister for State at the Department of the Taoiseach, and Government Chief Whip in the last administration. Formerly worked as an accountant and management consultant.
Immediate challenges: Has responsibility for roads, traffic, rail and bus, aviation and road safety. The possible privatisation of Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta loom large.
NOEL DEMPSEY - Education & Science
Age: 49
Constituency: Meath
First elected: 1987
Political career: Was Minister for the Environment and Local Government in last administration. Previously Government Chief Whip. Before politics, worked as a career guidance counsellor.
Immediate challenges: Early days of office will be dominated by the issue of teachers' pay, with the benchmarking pay review body due to report on June 30th next. Will also need to give attention to problems at third-level colleges which are coming to terms with falling school-leaver numbers.
MARY COUGHLAN - Social & Family Affairs
Age: 37
Constituency: Donegal South West
First elected: 1987
Political career: Has risen quickly through the ranks. Served as Minister of State for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands in the second half of the last administration. Formerly worked as a social worker.
Immediate challenges: Faces immediate controversy over cutbacks in the Community Employment scheme in what is normally an unexciting portfolio.
MARTIN CULLEN - Environmental & Local Government
Age: 47
Constituency: Waterford
First elected: 1987
Political career: Was Minister of State at the Department of Finance in last government. Initially a Progressive Democrats Deputy, he resigned from the party and joined Fianna Fáil in the 27th Dail.
Immediate challenges: Faces tough choices on waste management. The Programme for Government explicitly opposes mass-burn incineration. But continuing to rely on landfill is not an option either.
RORY BRADY SC - Attorney General
Age: 45
Political/legal career:A native of the Liberties, he was chairman of the Bar Council. Throughout his legal career he was closely associated with Fianna Fail, representing the party at the McCracken Tribunal and later the Moriarty and Flood tribunals. He was also counsel to the Taoiseach in a libel action, and, since the appointment of Michael McDowell as Attorney General, gave general legal advice to the party.Immediate challenges: In the run-up to the Nice referendum, the interface between European and domestic legislation will challenge his legal skills.
CHARLIE McCREEVY - Finance
Age: 52
Constituency: Kildare North
First elected: 1977
Political career: Holds his post of Minister for Finance from last government. Previously served as Minister for Tourism and Trade and Minister for Social Welfare. Formerly worked as a chartered accountant.
Immediate challenges: Must balance exchequer spending and revenue from taxation to ensure Government Departments meet their budget targets. The benchmarking report on public sector pay will have big implications for his Department too.
MARY HANAFIN - Government Chief Whip
Age: 42
Constituency: Dun Laoghaire
First elected: 1997
Political career: Promoted during last Administration to Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for children. First ran for election in Dublin South-East in 1989.
Immediate challenges: Has been given special responsiblity for develping policy in information technology.
BRIAN COWEN - Foreign Affairs
Age: 42
Constituency: Laois-Offaly
First elected: 1984
Political career: Another to retain his portfolio, he served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the second half of the previous administration. Formerly held ministerial posts in Health and Children, Transport Energy and Communications and Labour.
Immediate challenges: Securing a Yes vote in a re-run Nice Treaty referendum later this year. His perceived dismissive attitude to No-campaigers was cited as one of the reasons for the referendum's defeat first time round.
DICK ROCHE - Minister of State for Europe
Age: 55
Constituency: Wicklow
First elected: 1987
Political career: As a senator, he was FF spokesman on Public Finance and on Public Service Reform.
Immediate challenges: Has been charged with coordinating preparations for Ireland's Presidency of the EU in 2004. Will also manage the Government campaign in the second referendum on the Nice Treaty.
DERMOT AHERN - Communications & Natural Resources
Age: 47
Constituency: Louth
First elected: 1987
Political career: Was Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs in last government. Formerly worked as a solicitor.
Immediate challenges: The new portfolio brings together a range of economic activies, including telecommunications, broadcasting, energy, marine and natural resources. One pressing issue will be the growing financial crisis at RTE, and whether to sanction a licence fee increase.
MICHEAL MARTIN - Health and Children
Age: 41
Constituency: Cork South Central
First elected: 1989.
Political career: Formerly held ministerial posts in Health and Education. Before entering politics, he was a secondary school teacher.
Immediate challenges: Faces massive challenge in reforming the health sector, and implementing the National Health Strategy, a key policy platform of the Government. Will be anxious to ensure money spent delivers results, and improves public confidence in health services.
EAMON O CUIV - Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs
Age: 51
Constituency: Galway West
First elected: 1992
Political career: One of three junior minister in the last government to be promoted to the senior ranks, he previously served as Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.
Immediate challenges: Will be under pressure to revisit the Western Development Commission report which was side-lined by the last Government. Also must follow-up recent report of the Gaeltacht Commission.
JOHN O'DONOGHUE - Arts,Sport & Tourism
Age: 46
Constituency: Kerry South
First elected: 1987.
Political career: A former solicitor, he was Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the last government.
Immediate challenges: Faces task of rebuilding the Irish tourism industry after a number of recent blows, including last year's outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Under his sports portfolio, he must address the controversy over the Stadium Ireland project, which may have to be scaled down due to economic circumstances.