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23 Oct 2025

Laois frozen out of Government's team of ministers

No senior Minster and Taoiseach Micheál Martin drops Seán Fleming as junior minister with Offaly also out in the cold

sean fleming

Taoiseach Micheál Martin with Minister of State Seán Fleming at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska. Pic: Michael Scully

Laois will have no Ministerial voice in the Government for the foreseeable future with confirmation that Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming has been dropped from the as Minister of State.

After serving in two high-profile Departments for the last five years, Michaél Martin has decided not to reappoint Seán Fleming as a junior minister.

The only other hope for Laois was Fine Gael poll-topper Willie Aird who was not tipped for a job as he is a first-time TD. There is no Minister either for Offaly which has traditionally been linked politically with Laois.

Announcing the team Mr Martin said: "We are very conscious of the work ahead and I have every confidence in our team of Ministers from across the two government parties and independents.''

The Midlands has two representatives on the junior Minister selection both from the Longford Westmeath five-seat constituency. They are Kevin Boxer Moran and Robert Troy. Minister Troy, who had to resign from the last Government, is Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance. It's the same job as Dep Fleming had when he was appointed in 2020.

The only senior Minister from the midlands is Peter Burke who is also Longford Westmeath TD for Fine Gael.

The closest connection to Laois on the record number or 23 ministries is Carlow Kilkenny TD Jennifer Murnane O’Connor who lives on the Carlow side of Graiguecullen. The Fianna Fáil TD will be a Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy

There is sure to be disappointment in the Fleming camp who, after more than two decades in government and opposition,  was appointed as Minister of State by Micheál Martin in July 2020 after his Laois Offaly colleague Barry Cowen was sacked from Cabinet as Minister for Agriculture in a drink-driving controversy. 

In December 2022, he was appointed a Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora in the ministerial reshuffle that followed the appointment of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach.

The Laois man was one of two Laois Offaly Ministers of State in the last Government. Former Green Party senator was attached to the Department of Agriculture but was given super junior status meaning she could sit at the cabinet table. 

Dep Fleming, a former county councillor, was first elected to the Dáil in 1997 in the Laois Offaly constituency and retained his seat at every subsequent general election. 

He topped the poll in the 2016 race when Laois was first a three-seat constituency. He came in second behind Fine Gael TD Willie Aird in the reformed Laois three-seat constituency in the 2024 General Election.

In Ireland, a Minister of State in Ireland, also called a junior minister, is of non-cabinet rank attached to one or more Goverment Departments who is appointed to assist the Minister of the Government responsible for that Department.

See the full list of junior minister appointments below picture:

Thomas Byrne TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European Affairs and at the Department of Defence

Michael Moynihan TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion

Charlie McConalogue TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media with Special Responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy

Kevin Boxer Moran TD IND: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with responsibility for the Office of Public Works

Emer Higgins TD FG: Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with special responsibility for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment

Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy

Michael Healy-Rae TD IND: Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture

Neale Richmond TD FG: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora

Jerry Buttimer TD FG: Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, with special responsibility for Community Development, Charities, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport

John Cummins TD FG: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Local Government and Planning

Christopher O’Sullivan TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity

Kieran O’Donnell TD FG: Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Older People and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Housing

Robert Troy TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance

Niall Collins TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice

Niamh Smyth TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation

Alan Dillon TD FG: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Small Businesses and Retail and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for Circular Economy

The Government noted the intention, subject to the necessary amendments being made to the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977 to nominate the following persons to be appointed as Ministers of State:

Timmy Dooley TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Fisheries and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for the Marine

Colm Brophy TD FF: Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for Migration

Marian Harkin TD IND: Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with special responsibility for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills

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