Minister profiles: The people at the Cabinet table
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As Micheal Martin becomes Taoiseach again and Simon Harris prepares for the Foreign Affairs and Trade brief, here are some TDs who could be in line for a ministerial role. Jack Chambers, who was first elected as a TD for Dublin West in 2016, is the Minister for Public Expenditure. The 34-year-old was touted as a talent within the coalition from early on. He had a good 2024 when he became the deputy leader of Fianna Fail and the youngest finance minister since revolutionary Michael Collins.
Among his political achievements are reform of road rules, including reduced speed limits and a revamped penalty points system, and delivering a 10.5 billion euro budgetary package. Darragh O’Brien, a Malahide native, is moving to the Department of Transport, Climate and Energy.
Since he became housing minister in June 2020, the number of people accessing emergency accommodation has increased by 50% to 15,000 people, and house prices have ballooned by 37% since the start of 2020. Mr O’Brien’s Housing for All plan aimed to build an average of 33,000 homes a year until 2030, a target that has increased to an average of 60,000 homes a year under the programme for Government.
He has introduced cost rental schemes, which offer below-market rents based on the cost of building and maintaining the property, and the government shared equity First Home scheme. Norma Foley, a Tralee teacher who comes from a staunchly Fianna Fail family, will be the next Minister for Children and Disability.
