Helen McEntee confirmed as new Minister for Education and Youth

Meath East Fine Gael TD and outgoing Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, is moving to the Department of Education, with Fianna Fail's Jim O'Callaghan taking over the Justice Department.

After an unprecedented day of angry exchanges in the Dail chamber yesterday the business of putting in place a new government fell into place today following Micheál Martin's election as Taoiseach.

After receiving his Seal of Office from President Michael D Higgins, Mr Martin returned to Leinster House to carve up the various ministries.

As per the agreement between the coalition parties, there are eight ministers from Fianna Fáil and seven from Fine Gael.

Of the 15 senior ministerial positions, just one - Fine Gael's Peter Burke - is continuing in his former role, while the only minister to be demoted from the Cabinet is Fianna Fáil's Charlie McConalogue.

The education portfolio has been held in the past by Meath TD, Noel Dempsey.

The full cabinet list is:

Taoiseach - Micheál Martin

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence - Simon Harris

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation - Jack Chambers

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration - Jim O'Callaghan

Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht - Dara Calleary

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage - James Browne

Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport - Darragh O'Brien

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science - James Lawless

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality - Norma Foley

Minister for Finance - Paschal Donohoe

Minister for Health - Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Minister for Education and Youth - Helen McEntee

Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine - Martin Heydon

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment - Peter Burke

Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport - Patrick O'Donovan

Fianna Fáil TD Mary Butler has also been appointed to the Government chief whip role as well as responsibility for mental health.

Senior counsel Rossa Fanning has been re-appointed as Attorney General.

Despite Helen McEntee's high profile appointment, the Women for Election campaign group says that it is shocking and disappointing that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, in the formation of the new Government, have reduced the number of women in Cabinet from the outgoing Government, with just three women have been appointed as ministers to the 15-member cabinet. There were four women ministers in the outgoing Government. Two women from Fine Gael have been appointed, the same as the outgoing Government, one from Fianna Fáil, a reduction of one.

“The Taoiseach in forming the new government had the opportunity to bring a record number of women into Government, but in an affront to gender equality in politics, has chosen instead to reduce the number of women Ministers compared to the last Government”, said Aldagh McDonogh, chair of Women for Election.

“It is perplexing that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste would reject the opportunity in forming the Cabinet to ensure that women’s expertise and lived experience are equally represented at the heart of government decision-making”.

“This decline in women’s representation is concerning. Women’s perspectives are critical to shaping policies that reflect the realities of our society and economy, and their exclusion diminishes the strength of this Cabinet.”

“We of course congratulate the three women who are joining the cabinet, one of whom is joining the Cabinet for the first time and wish them well as they lead out Government policy in their respective areas”, concluded McDonogh.

Just 22 women have ever served in Cabinet since the foundation of the State, while 213 men have served in the same period. It took 60 years from the appointment of the first women to Cabinet, Constance Markievicz in 1919, to the second, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn in 1979. There has never been a women Taoiseach, Minister for Finance or Minister for Foreign Affairs.

“How long will Ireland have to wait for women to have an equal say in the governing of Ireland? When will we resolve our ‘unfinished democracy’?” concluded McDonogh.