Junior ministerial appointments: Dillon, Higgins, Burke, Richmond promoted

James Cox

Simon Harris has appointed his junior ministers on his first full day as Taoiseach.

Alan Dillon is the new Junior Minister at the Department of Housing, Emer Higgins is the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, while Colm Burke is the new Junior Minister with Responsibility for Public Health and Drugs Strategy.

The Taoiseach yesterday appointed Jennifer Carroll MacNeill as Minister of State for European Affairs, which left an opening at the Department of Finance.

Neale Richmond is to fill that vacancy, and Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said he looks forward to working with him, while paying tribute to his predecessor.

Mr McGrath said: "The overall message is one of stability. This is a government that will continue to quarter one of next year, we are focused on the major challenges that we face.

"I look forward to having a new colleague [Neale Richmond] in the Department of Finance. I want to pay tribute to Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, she was a great colleague... did fantastic work."