ieExplains: What is a junior minister?
Michael Lowry arrives at Government Buildings with fellow Regional Independent TDs Marian Harkin and Sean Canney. Picture: RollingNews
The new government is set to see a union between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Regional Independents and the two Healy-Rae brothers.
The Regional Independents and one of the Healy-Reas are set to land junior ministerial positions.
Here, we take a look at what exactly that means.
A junior minister, or minister of state, is appointed to help the minister in charge of a department in their parliamentary and departmental work.
For example, in the outgoing government, Stephen Donnelly was Health Minister while Mary Butler was Minister of State at the Department of Health.
Junior ministers do not usually sit at the Cabinet table.
Some ministers of state are de facto department heads via being given 'special responsibility' by the Taoiseach. For example, in the last government, Colm Burke was a Minister of State at the Department of Health but had special responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy.
Junior ministers who are given permission to attend Cabinet meetings are often referred to as super junior ministers. They have a seat at the table and participate in the meetings but do not have a vote in them. They are sometimes referred to as 'Minister of State, attending Government'.
The Cabinet is a collective term used for the senior government ministers.
Cabinet meetings, often held weekly while the Dáil is in session, are where decisions about government policy and proposals for new Government bills are decided upon.
A junior minister can be a member of either House of Oireachtas — the Dáil or the Seanad.
Unlike senior government ministers, who are appointed by the President on the advice of the Taoiseach, a Minister of State is directly appointed by the government or the Taoiseach.
If a Government minister resigns, the powers given to the junior minister must be delegated again once a new minister has been appointed.
They can continue in office after the Dáil has concluded and until a new Taoiseach has been appointed.
However, if the Taoiseach resigns, the minister of state is seen as resigned as well.
Each Government has a Chief Whip, who is a minister of state at the Department of the Taoiseach. Hildegarde Naughton was Chief Whip in the most recent government.
The Chief Whip does attend Cabinet meetings but does not have a vote.
Their main role is to organise and co-ordinate government business. It includes managing the Government's legislative progress and ensuring Government TDs and ministers are in attendance in the Dáil for votes.
All TDs get a basic salary of €113,679 a year. This salary is subject to tax, PRSI, USC, pension contributions etc.
On top of the basic pay, ministers of state get €45,846. Super junior ministers can claim an extra allowance of €16,000.
The numbers vary. For example, when Enda Kenny became Taoiseach in 2011, there were 15 junior ministers.
When Simon Harris carried out a Cabinet reshuffle after becoming Taoiseach in April 2024, the government appointed 20 ministers of state.
The full list won't be revealed until after the Taoiseach is appointed, which is set to happen next week.
Galway West TD Noel Grealish and Galway East TD Seán Canney are set to land super junior minister roles.
Sligo-Leitrim TD Marian Harkin is due to take up a junior ministry at the Department of Higher Education, while Longford-Westmeath TD Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran will take up his junior ministry at the Office of Public Works.
Michael Healy-Rae will also be given a junior ministry, which is believed to be in the Department of Agriculture.
The Dáil will resume on January 22 where it is expected that Micheál Martin will be voted in as Taoiseach. He will then select his ministers and junior ministers.
