Michael Healy-Rae says he will be a Junior Minister in the new Government. The Kerry TD and his brother Danny have agreed to support a Coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and other Independents.
Fianna Fail will hold eight senior ministerial posts and Fine Gael will hold seven.
Simon Harris will be given a tough new role heading up the next government’s response to US president-elect Donald Trump’s threat to trade and foreign investment.
The incoming tánaiste will take a beefed-up role as foreign affairs minister, with international trade also being added on.
His move will come amid a shake-up of departments that is expected to see Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael swap the two most troublesome departments: Justice and Health.
An agreement with the Regional Independent Group is now tied down.
Meanwhile, a deal has been struck with the Healy-Rae brothers, Michael and Danny, with a junior ministry agreed, RTÉ has reported.
Speaking outside Leinster House this morning, Michael Healy-Rae told reporters he will be a junior minister, though the portfolio is yet to be decided.
Fianna Fail TD James Lawless described five weeks of “very intense, very rigorous engagement” in the lead-up to agreeing a coalition government involving four groups, saying it was “cordial but robust”.
He told RTE’s Morning Ireland: “We’ve produced a programme for government which runs to some 200 pages, which I think captures the essence of what Ireland needs for the next five years to be a strong, successful, dynamic, modern nation, right across things like digitalisation, like sustainable energy, like investing in our health and education systems, housing, of course, and really steeling ourselves for the five years ahead, which could be uncertain, which could be turbulent both home and abroad.
“We have a comfortable majority, and it’s really important that, when the government sets to work putting in place this programme, we’re not having to be constantly looking over our shoulder and firefighting in the Dail chamber
“The ministers that are appointed, and that will ultimately be up to the Taoiseach and the party leaders to decide on the 22nd, next week, but they can get into the departments and get on with the business of running the country.”
The draft programme for government, meanwhile, commits to reintroducing the lower 9pc Vat rate for the food, hospitality and services sector – but not until later in the year.
The coalition will also create a Minister for Children and Disabilities, to ensure services for people with special needs get full cabinet representation.
A rejig of departments means Fianna Fáil will have eight senior posts in the Cabinet and Fine Gael will have seven positions. A draft list has Fianna Fáil getting the taoiseach role, as well as Public Expenditure, Housing, Justice, Social Protection, Transport, Children and Higher Education.
Fine Gael will take Foreign Affairs, Finance, Enterprise, Health, Education, Agriculture and Arts.
In compromise deals, big election ideas from Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin for new departments have been watered down.
The Regional Independent TDs, headed by Michael Lowry, will not be getting a full cabinet ministry, but will get two “super junior” ministers who sit at cabinet. There are three such roles, with Fianna Fáil keeping one as the government chief whip goes with the taoiseach.
