Fine Gael Front Bench
Fine Gael is the third largest political party in the Oireachtas. The Fine Gael leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. When Fine Gael was in opposition, the front bench areas of responsibility broadly corresponded to those of Government ministers. Fine Gael has been in Government since March 2011 and accordingly their front bench consists of the ministerial officeholders. In 2020 a number of non ministerial office holders were appointed as spokespeople for policy areas where Fine Gael does not have a minister.
Fine Gael Ministers
Ministers of Government
On 27 June 2020, six Fine Gael TDs were appointed to the 32nd Government of Ireland.[1]
| Name | Elected office | Portfolio | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Varadkar | TD for Dublin West | Leader of Fine Gael Tánaiste Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
2017– 2020– 2020– |
| Simon Coveney | TD for Cork South-Central | Deputy Leader of Fine Gael Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister for Defence |
2017– 2017– 2020– |
| Paschal Donohoe | TD for Dublin Central | Minister for Finance | 2017– |
| Helen McEntee | TD for Meath East | Minister for Justice | 2020– |
| Simon Harris | TD for Wicklow | Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science | 2020– |
| Heather Humphreys | TD for Cavan–Monaghan | Minister for Social Protection Minister for Rural and Community Development |
2020– 2020– |
Ministers of State
On 27 June 2020, the government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed Fine Gael TD, Hildegarde Naughton as a Minister of State, attending Government meetings without a vote.
On 1 July, the government appointed seven further Fine Gael TDs as Ministers of State on the nomination of the Taoiseach.
| Name | Elected office | Portfolio | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hildegarde Naughton | TD for Galway West | Minister of State at the Department of Transport, with responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics (attending Government) |
2020– |
| Patrick O'Donovan | TD for Limerick County | Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with responsibility for Office of Public Works |
2020– |
| Josepha Madigan | TD for Dublin Rathdown | Minister of State at the Department of Education, with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion |
2020– |
| Martin Heydon | TD for Kildare South | Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development |
2020– |
| Colm Brophy | TD for Dublin South-West | Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, with responsibility for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora |
2020– |
| Peter Burke | TD for Longford–Westmeath | Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with responsibility for Local Government and Planning |
2020– |
| Damien English | TD for Meath West | Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Businesses |
2020– |
| Frank Feighan | TD for Sligo–Leitrim | Minister of State at the Department of Health, with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy |
2020– |
Fine Gael Party Spokespeople
Party Spokespeople
On the 22 July 2020 at a meeting of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party the Parliamentary Party chair, deputy chair, secretary and assistant secretary were elected.[2]
On the 30 September 2020 Fine Gael Leader, Leo Varadkar, appointed a number TDs as party spokespeople covering policy areas in which the party does not have a minister. Their role is to support the Government, develop policy, speak in the Dáil and media and engage with interest groups in these areas on behalf of the party. In most cases, they are the lead Fine Gael member and convener on the relevant Joint Oireachtas Committee.[3]
| Name | Elected office | Portfolio | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Bruton | TD for Dublin Bay North | Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party | 2020– |
| Jennifer Carroll MacNeill | TD for Dún Laoghaire | Deputy Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Spokesperson on Equality |
2020– 2020– |
| Alan Dillon | TD for Mayo | Secretary of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Spokesperson on Tourism and Sport |
2020– 2020– |
| Emer Higgins | TD for Dublin Mid-West | Assistant Secretary of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party Spokesperson on Social Media and Fintech |
2020– 2020– |
| Colm Burke | TD for Cork North-Central | Spokesperson on Health | 2020– |
| Ciaran Cannon | TD for Galway East | Spokesperson on Media, Arts and Culture | 2020– |
| Alan Farrell | TD for Dublin Fingal | Spokesperson on Climate Action | 2020– |
| Neale Richmond | TD for Dublin Rathdown | Spokesperson on European Affairs | 2020– |
Seanad Spokespeople
On the 10 July 2020 Fine Gael Leader, Leo Varadkar announced the Seanad Spokespersons for the party. Their role is to support the Government, develop policy, speak in the Seanad on matters relating to their policy area on behalf of Fine Gael.[4]
On the 18 Sep 2020 Fine Gael Senator, Joe O'Reilly was elected Leas Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.[5]
| Name | Elected office | Portfolio | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regina Doherty | Senator nominated by the Taoiseach | Leader of the Seanad | 2020– |
| Joe O'Reilly | Senator for the Labour Panel | Leas Cathaoirleach Spokesperson on Foreign and European Affairs, Defence and Brexit |
2020– 2020– |
| Sean Kyne | Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel | Spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform and Gaeltacht | 2020– |
| Emer Currie | Senator nominated by the Taoiseach | Spokesperson on Employment Affairs, Work/Life Balance and Northern Ireland | 2020– |
| Aisling Dolan | Senator nominated by the Taoiseach | Spokesperson on Education, Science and Innovation (including Higher Education) | 2020– |
| Garret Ahearn | Senator for the Administrative Panel | Spokesperson on Enterprise and Trade | 2020– |
| Mary Seery Kearney | Senator nominated by the Taoiseach | Spokesperson on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Privacy Rights | 2020– |
| John Cummins | Senator for the Labour Panel | Spokesperson on Housing, Heritage and Local Government | 2020– |
| Barry Ward | Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel | Spokesperson on Justice | 2020– |
| Tim Lombard | Senator for the Agricultural Panel | Spokesperson on Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Marine | 2020– |
| Micheál Carrigy | Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel | Spokesperson on Media, Arts, Sports and Tourism | 2020– |
| John McGahon | Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel | Spokesperson on Climate, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | 2020– |
| Martin Conway | Senator for the Administrative Panel | Spokesperson on Health | 2020– |
See also
References
- https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/9b5048-government-ministers/
- https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/richard-bruton-elected-chairman-of-fine-gael-parliamentary-party-1.4311115
- https://www.finegael.ie/tanaiste-and-fine-gael-leader-leo-varadkar-announces-party-spokespeople/
- https://www.finegael.ie/tanaiste-and-fine-gael-president-leo-varadkar-announces-seanad-spokespersons/
- https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2020-09-18/11/