# Government of the 34th Dáil

The 35th government of Ireland is the government of Ireland which was formed on 23 January 2025 following the 2024 general election to the 34th Dáil held on 29 November 2024. It is a coalition government of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael with the participation of independent TDs at the rank of minister of state. It has lasted 38 days to date.

## Government formation talks

Government formation followed negotiations on a programme for government for a coalition government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Regional Independent Group (a group of independent politicians led by former government minister Michael Lowry). Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will serve as Taoiseach, with Fine Gael leader Simon Harris serving as Tánaiste. It was agreed that the government will last until November 2027, after which the positions will rotate, with the Fine Gael leader forming a new government as Taoiseach, and the Fianna Fáil leader serving as Tánaiste.
It is the second time that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have participated in the same government; the two parties were in government during the lifetime of the previous Dáil, from June 2020 to January 2025, with the Green Party.

## Nomination of Taoiseach

The 34th Dáil first met on 18 December. Harris resigned as Taoiseach before the Dáil convened. Under the provisions of Article 28.11 of the Constitution, the members of the government continued to carry out their duties until their successors were appointed. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald was proposed for nomination as Taoiseach, with other parties abstaining from nomination as the government formation talks had not yet concluded. McDonald failed to obtain majority support.
On 22 January 2025, the Dáil again met to consider nominations for the position of Taoiseach. Opposition parties raised the issue of a technical group supporting the programme for government registering as an opposition group with speaking rights. Amid chaotic scenes, the Dáil was suspended three times before Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy suspended sitting for the day. Micheál Martin said the failure to elect a Taoiseach was "the subversion of the Irish constitution" and a "premeditated" and "coordinated" effort by the opposition, adding it was the first time in over 100 years that the Dáil had failed to elect a government.
On 23 January 2025, following talks between party leaders, the Dáil again sat to consider nomination. Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald were proposed, with the nomination of Martin approved by a vote of 95 to 76. The nomination of Mary Lou McDonald was not considered. President Michael D. Higgins signed the warrant of appointment and presented the seal of Taoiseach and the seal of Government to Martin at Áras an Uachtaráin.
23 January 2025 Nomination of Micheál Martin (FF) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Albert Dolan and seconded by Catherine Ardagh Absolute majority: 88/174 :
| Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Y Yes | Fianna Fáil (48), Fine Gael (37), Independents (10) | 95 / 174 |
| No | Sinn Féin (39), Labour (11), Social Democrats (9), Independents (6), Independent Ireland (4), PBP–Solidarity (3), Aontú (2), 100% Redress (1), Green Party (1) | 76 / 174 |
| Absent or not voting | Ceann Comhairle (1), Fine Gael (1), Social Democrats (1) | 3 / 174 |

## Government ministers

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Martin proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil. They were appointed by the president on the same day.
| Office | Name | Term | Party |
| Taoiseach | Micheál Martin | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Tánaiste | Simon Harris | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade | Simon Harris | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Defence | Simon Harris | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Finance | Paschal Donohoe | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Health | Jennifer Carroll MacNeill | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Education and Youth | Helen McEntee | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine | Martin Heydon | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment | Peter Burke | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport | Patrick O'Donovan | 2025–present | Fine Gael |
| Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration | Jim O'Callaghan | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation | Jack Chambers | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage | James Browne | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Social Protection | Dara Calleary | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht | Dara Calleary | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy | Darragh O'Brien | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Transport | Darragh O'Brien | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science | James Lawless | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |
| Minister for Children, Disability and Equality | Norma Foley | 2025–present | Fianna Fáil |

## Attorney General

Rossa Fanning SC was appointed by the president as Attorney General on the nomination of the Taoiseach.

## Ministers of state

Appointments on 23 January 2025
On 23 January 2025, the government on the nomination of the taoiseach appointed Mary Butler, Hildegarde Naughton, Noel Grealish, and Seán Canney as ministers of state to be in attendance at meetings of the government. :
| Name | Department(s) | Responsibility | Party | Party |
| Mary Butler | Taoiseach Health | Government Chief Whip Mental Health | | Fianna Fáil |
| Hildegarde Naughton | Children, Disability and Equality | Disability | | Fine Gael |
| Noel Grealish | Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine | Food promotion, new markets, research and development | | Independent |
| Seán Canney | Transport | International and road transport, logistics, rail and ports | | Independent |
| Appointments on 29 January 2025 On 29 January, a further sixteen ministers of state were appointed by the government. |||||
| Office | Name | Term | Party | Party |
| Thomas Byrne | Taoiseach Foreign Affairs and Trade Defence | European affairs Defence | | Fianna Fáil |
| Michael Moynihan | Education and Youth | Special education and inclusion | | Fianna Fáil |
| Charlie McConalogue | Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport | Sport and postal policy | | Fianna Fáil |
| Kevin "Boxer" Moran | Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation | Office of Public Works | | Independent |
| Emer Higgins | Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation | Public procurement, digitalisation and eGovernment | | Fine Gael |
| Jennifer Murnane O'Connor | Health | Public health, well-being and drugs | | Fianna Fáil |
| Michael Healy-Rae | Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine | Forestry, farm safety and horticulture | | Independent |
| Neale Richmond | Foreign Affairs and Trade | International development and diaspora | | Fine Gael |
| Jerry Buttimer | Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht Transport | Community development, charities, Gaeltacht and the islands Rural transport | | Fine Gael |
| John Cummins | Housing, Local Government and Heritage | Local government and planning | | Fine Gael |
| Christopher O'Sullivan | Housing, Local Government and Heritage | Nature, heritage and biodiversity | | Fianna Fáil |
| Kieran O'Donnell | Health Housing, Local Government and Heritage | Older people Housing | | Fine Gael |
| Robert Troy | Finance | Financial services, credit unions and insurance | | Fianna Fáil |
| Niall Collins | Justice, Home Affairs and Migration | International law, law reform and youth justice | | Fianna Fáil |
| Niamh Smyth | Enterprise, Tourism and Employment | Trade promotion, artificial intelligence and digital transformation | | Fianna Fáil |
| Alan Dillon | Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Climate, Environment and Energy | Small businesses and retail Circular economy | | Fine Gael |
| Appointments on 25 February 2025 The government appointed three further ministers of state on the enactment of an amendment to the Ministers and Secretaries Acts increasing the number of ministers of state from 20 to 23. |||||
| Office | Name | Term | Party | Party |
| Timmy Dooley | Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine Climate, Environment and Energy | Fisheries Marine | | Fianna Fáil |
| Colm Brophy | Justice, Home Affairs and Migration | Migration | | Fine Gael |
| Marian Harkin | Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science | Further education, apprenticeship, construction and climate skills | | Independent |

## Events affecting the government

Prior to the nomination of Taoiseach, a row ensued after four TDs of the Regional Independent Group (Michael Lowry, Gillian Toole, Barry Heneghan and Danny Healy-Rae) sought to be part of a technical group, granting them Dáil speaking rights and positioning itself on the opposition benches, while also supporting the government. This was rejected by opposition parties, resulting in chaotic exchanges in the Dáil. On 3 February 2025, eleven days after the government was formed, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy ruled that the Regional Group could not form a technical group for the purposes of speaking rights. This was welcomed by opposition parties. The next day, the Regional Independent Group and government parties conceded and said they would not challenge Murphy's ruling.