I wish to announce, for the information of the House, that the Government today appointed the following Ministers of State:
1. Minister of State for European Affairs, Data Protection and the E.U. Single Digital Market– Dara Murphy
(Departments of the Taoiseach, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Justice and Equality)
2. Minister of State for Financial Services, eGovernment and Public Procurement – Eoghan Murphy
(Departments of Finance, and Public Expenditure and Reform)
3. Minister of State for Tourism and Sport – Patrick O’Donovan
(Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport)
4. Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal – Damien English
(Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government)
5. Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources – Sean Kyne
(Departments of Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht, and Climate Change, Communications and Natural Resources)
6. Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture – Andrew Doyle
(Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
7. Minister of State for Employment and Small Business– Pat Breen
(Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)
8. Minister of State for Training and Skills – John Halligan
(Departments of Education, and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)
9. Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People – Helen McEntee
(Department of Health)
10. Minister of State for Health Promotion – Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
(Department of Health)
11. Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief– Sean Canney
(Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)
12. Minister of State for the Diaspora and Overseas Development Aid – Joe McHugh
(Departments of the Taoiseach, and Foreign Affairs and Trade)
13. Regional Economic Development – Michael Ring
(Department of Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht)
14. Minister of State for Communities and the National Drugs Strategy– Catherine Byrne
(Health, and Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht)
15. Minister of State for Justice with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration, and Integration – David Stanton
(Department of Justice and Equality)
These appointments are in addition to the three Ministers of State who were appointed when the Government was formed – Regina Doherty, Finian McGrath and Paul Kehoe.
In making these appointments today, the Government has decided to expand the number of Ministers of State by three, compared with the situation that pertained in the last government.
In doing so, the Government will, in line with our Programme for Government commitments, be putting a stronger emphasis on important policy areas, particularly on the Department of health, to which four Ministers of State will be attached to work to deliver real improvements in this vital public service.
I am confident that all those appointed today will work hard, with the members of the Government, to ensure that the intensified engagement between the Government and the Oireachtas and its committees, which will be provided for in the new Dail reform process, is effective in the interests of all the people who we are elected to serve.