Fine Gine TD Brendan Griffin has announced that he has not taken a junior ministry for “family reasons” as the 17 positions were filled today.
It comes amid anger within the party that he was “overlooked” for the chief whip role in the Cabinet reshuffle on Saturday.
The Irish Mirror understands that the decision may have partially influenced Sean Kyne to step down as Fine Gael’s whip in the Seanad in the last number of days.
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The Senator tweeted his disappointment about Hildegarde Naughton being appointed to the role over Mr Griffin on Saturday evening.
It is understood that the former Galway West TD, who is Ms Naughton’s constituency colleague, contacted Taoiseach Leo Varadkar over the weekend to say he wanted to concentrate on constituency issues and “relinquish” his duties in Dublin.
However, some Fine Gael source says that Mr Kyne is “really p**sed about what happened to Brendan Griffin and this could have aided his decision.
Other Fine Gael sources stressed that Mr Kyne had spoken numerous times to his colleagues about standing down from the role. They also said that Ms Naughton’s promotion to Chief Whip would create fresh competition in the constituency.
Mr Kyne told The Mirror that he took the decision in a bid to win his seat back.
Mr Griffin confirmed to RTÉ on Wednesday that he was “unable to take on a ministerial position at this particular time due to family reasons”.
However, the Irish Mirror understands that the Kerry TD was “disappointed” not to have been appointed chief whip last week and is “totally disillusioned”.
It is also understood that he would have liked to have taken over Jack Chambers’ Minister of State for sport role.
One senior Government source also pointed out that junior ministers must donate some of their salaries back to the State. They also miss out on overnight allowances that TDs get.
“If you’re a backbench TD or a committee chair, you’re better off financially,” they said.
There were more changes at the junior levels than there were during the Cabinet reshuffle last Saturday.
While it was widely suggested that Fine Gael’s Neale Richmond would be elevated to the ministerial ranks, he did not receive a promotion.
The Irish Mirror understands that the Dublin Rathdown TD was called on Tuesday evening and informed that he did not get a role.
Colm Brophy, who was Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Frank Feighan, Junior Minister at the Department of Health, both lost their roles.
Fine Gael’s Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Kieran O’Donnell were both promoted from the backbenches. Mr O’Donnell’s new role now means that the chairmanship of the Oireachtas Transport Committee is up for grabs.
There were no promotions for Fianna Fáil TDs.
The new junior ministers are:
Peter Burke - Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs (EU Affairs) and the Department of Defence
Patrick O'Donovan - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (OPW) and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Gaeltacht)
Ossian Smyth - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Public Procurement and eGovernment) and Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (Communications and Circular Economy)
Josepha Madigan - Department of Education (Special Education and Inclusion)
Martin Heydon - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development)
Anne Rabbitte - Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Disability)
Sean Fleming - Department of Foreign Affairs (International Development and Diaspora)
Joe O'Brien - Department of Rural and Community Development and Department of Social Protection (Community Development and Charities) and Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Integration)
Kieran O’Donnell - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Local Government and Planning)
Malcolm Noonan - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Heritage and Electoral Reform)
Damien English - Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Employment Affairs and Retail Business) and Department of Social Protection
Mary Butler - Department of Health (Mental Health and Older People)
Thomas Byrne- Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Sport and Physical Education)
Niall Collins - Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science (Skills and Further Education)
Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill - Department of Finance (Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance)
James Browne- Department of Justice (Law Reform and Youth Justice)
Dara Calleary - Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Trade Promotion and Digital Transformation)
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