Westmeath minister in new Cabinet
Westmeath has a senior minister after Mullingar-based Fine Gael TD Peter Burke was appointed today as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Burke now becomes the first senior minister in the history of the State from Mullingar.
He was serving as Minister of State with responsibility for EU Affairs & Defence, and before that was Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning.
Burke replaced Simon Coveney, who stepped down from Cabinet. His appointment is one of two new Cabinet ministers announced today by new Taoiseach Simon Harris, with Limerick Fine Gael TD Patrick O'Donovan becoming the new Minister for Further and Higher Education, the role previously held by Simon Harris.
Despite speculation, Helen McEntee remains as Minister for Justice.
The remainder of the Cabinet is unchanged.
After returning to the Dáil from Aras an Uachtarain, Minister Harris said the Government would need to be "energetic and laser focused on delivery".
He reappointed Hildegarde Naughton as Government Chief Whip and also allocated her the role of Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, previously held by Josepha Madigan, who had announced she was stepping down and not running in the next general election.
Jennifer Carroll McNeill was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs and as Minister of State for Defence.
Simon Harris said he would name the remainder of the Ministers of State tomorrow.