I wish to announce for the information of the Dáil that having informed the President that Dáil Éireann had approved my nomination of Deputies to be members of the Government, the President on 9 April 2024 appointed them accordingly. On the same day, I nominated Deputy Micheál Martin to be the Tánaiste and assigned the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defence to him. On the same date, I assigned the other Departments of State to the other members of the Government as follows: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of Transport to Deputy Eamon Ryan; the Department of Finance to Deputy Michael McGrath; the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to Deputy Paschal Donohoe; the Department of Education to Deputy Norma Foley; the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to Deputy Catherine Martin; the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to Deputy Darragh O'Brien; the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Rural and Community Development to Deputy Heather Humphreys; the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine to Deputy Charlie McConalogue; the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to Deputy Roderic O'Gorman; the Department of Health to Deputy Stephen Donnelly; the Department of Justice to Deputy Helen McEntee; the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to Deputy Peter Burke; and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to Deputy Patrick O'Donovan. On 9 April 2024, the President also appointed Rossa Fanning SC as the Attorney General.
On the same date the Government appointed Deputy Hildegarde Naughton to be Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip and at the Department of Education with special responsibility for special education and inclusion; Deputy Jack Chambers to be Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for international road transport and logistics and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibly for postal policy; Senator Pippa Hackett to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine with special responsibility for land use and biodiversity; and Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to be Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European affairs and at the Department of Defence.
On 10 April 2024 on my nomination, the Government appointed Deputy Kieran O'Donnell as Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works; Deputy Ossian Smyth as Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with special responsibility for public procurement and e-government, and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for communications and the circular economy; Deputy Colm Burke as Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drug strategy; Deputy Martin Heydon as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine with special responsibility for research and development, farm safety and new market department; Deputy Anne Rabbitte as Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with special responsibility for disability; Deputy Sean Fleming as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for international development and the diaspora; Deputy Joe O'Brien as Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Social Protection with responsibility for community development and charities and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with special responsibility for integration; Deputy Alan Dillon as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for local government planning; Deputy Malcolm Noonan as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for nature, heritage and electoral reform; Deputy Mary Butler as Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for mental health and older people; Deputy Thomas Byrne as Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and at the Department of Education with special responsibility for sport and physical education, and with special responsibility for the Gaeltacht; Deputy Niall Collins as Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with special responsibility for skills and further innovation; Deputy Neale Richmond as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for financial services, credit unions and insurance; Deputy James Browne as Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for international law, law reform and youth justice; Deputy Dara Calleary as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for trade promotion and digital transformation; and Deputy Emer Higgins as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for business, employment and retail, and at the Department of Social Protection.