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Wanna be in my gang: Enda and Eamon have named their full Cabinet PA Images/Julien Behal
Dáil Éireann

In pictures: Junior ministers named by Enda Kenny

The line-up in the new coalition government is complete with the announcement of nine Fine Gael and six Labour ministers of state.
3.21pm, 10 Mar 2011
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THE CABINET FOR the 31st Dail is now complete, with today’s announcement of which TDs will assume junior ministerial roles.

Two junior ministers had already been announced yesterday, alongside the list of full ministers. Those were Paul Kehoe, who is Government Chief Whip as well as junior minister at the Department of An Taoiseach, and Willie Penrose, junior minister with responsibility for housing and planning. He is also known as a super-minister because of the importance of his portfolio and is allowed to take a non-voting seat at the Cabinet table.

Here is TheJournal.ie‘s guide to the rest of the junior minister line-up, complete with their history and experience. There are nine from Fine Gael and six from the Labour party:

In pictures: Junior ministers named by Enda Kenny
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  • Brian Hayes - Junior Minister for Public Service Reform and OPW

    Brian Hayes, seen here with party leader Enda Kenny, has been Fine Gael's education spokesperson and is a former secondary teacher. A TD for Dublin South West, he was a sentor from 2002 to 2007. He says one of his favourite books is The Third Man by Peter Mandelson.

  • Ciaran Cannon - Junior Minister for Training and Skills

    Former Progressive Democrats leader Ciaran Cannon joined Fine Gael in 2009 after the PDs dissolved. Former planning admin worker Cannon is CEO of the Irish Pilgrimage Trust, a national charity caring for chidren and young people with disabilities.

  • Willie Penrose - Junior-super minister for Housing and Planning

    Long-term Labour TD for Longford-Westmeath, Penrose was appointed by Kenny yesterday. He was the Labour Party’s spokesman on enterprise in the last Dáil, and now takes a non-voting seat at the cabinet table.

  • Paul Kehoe - Government Chief Whip and Junior Minister at Dept of An Taoiseach

    Fine Gael party whip in the last Dáil, Kehoe has been a TD for Wexford since 2002. He was announced as a junior minister and Government Chief Whip yesterday.

  • Lucinda Creighton - Junior Minister for European Affairs

    Creighton has had her ups and downs with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny but she topped her constituency at Dublin South East this time out. She has been FG's deputy spokesperson on Justice and Law Reform with special responsibility for Immigration, Integration and Equality.

  • Jan O'Sullivan - Junior Minister for Trade and Development

    Labour's Jan O'Sullivan may have been disappointed not to be included at Cabinet level, as a high-profile spokesperson on Health. She was first elected as a TD in Limerick in 1998 following the death of the popular Jim Kemmy.

  • Roisin Shortall - Junior Minister for Primary Care

    Dublin North West TD Roisin Shortall was a shoo-in on the first count at the recent election. She is a former chairperson of the then Eastern Health Board and was Labour's spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs.

  • Sean Sherlock - Junior Minister for Research and Innovation

    He followed his father Joe's successful history as a TD in Cork East in 2007, and this time out, scored the first seat in the constituency. Sherlock was Labour's Agriculture and Food spokesperson.

  • Kathleen Lynch - Junior Minister for Disability, Equality and Mental Health

    Former Democratic Left TD Lynch has been Labour's spokesperson on Disability and Equality. She is sister-in-law of Ciaran Lynch, Labour TD in Cork South Central.

  • Fergus O'Dowd - Junior Minister for the NewEra Project

    O'Dowd was named Magill magazine's TD of the year in 2006... This is his third consecutive term as a Fine Gael TD and has been the party's Education and Skills spokesperson since July last year.

  • Michael Ring - Junior Minister for Tourism and Sport

    Ring professed his dissatisfaction at not being part of Enda's line-up of full ministers yesterday so hopefully this junior portfolio will cheer him up somewhat. The Mayo TD has been party spokesperson on Social Protection but also on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht.

  • John Perry - Junior Minister for Small Business

    Sligo North-Leitrim TD Perry has been Fine Gael's go-to guy on Small Businesses and has been a Dail deputy since 1997.

  • Dinny McGinley - Junior Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs

    Dail veteran McGinley is beginning his ninth successive term as a Fine Gael TD for Donegal South West. He has a wide breadth of experience as a front-bench spokesperson for the party. McGinley had announced his retirement from politics in 2006 but later changed his mind.

  • Shane McEntee - Junior Minister for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety

    Fine Gael's Shane McEntee is a TD for Meath East. he was first elected to the Dáil after a by-election in March 2005 to fill John Bruton's seat.

  • Alan Kelly - Junior Minister for Public and Commuter Transport

    Kelly was elected to the Seanad's Agricultural panel in 2007 before winning a seat at the European Parliament in 2009 for Labour.
  • Brian Hayes, seen here with party leader Enda Kenny, has been Fine Gael's education spokesperson and is a former secondary teacher. A TD for Dublin South West, he was a sentor from 2002 to 2007. He says one of his favourite books is The Third Man by Peter Mandelson.
  • Former Progressive Democrats leader Ciaran Cannon joined Fine Gael in 2009 after the PDs dissolved. Former planning admin worker Cannon is CEO of the Irish Pilgrimage Trust, a national charity caring for chidren and young people with disabilities.
  • Long-term Labour TD for Longford-Westmeath, Penrose was appointed by Kenny yesterday. He was the Labour Party’s spokesman on enterprise in the last Dáil, and now takes a non-voting seat at the cabinet table.
  • Fine Gael party whip in the last Dáil, Kehoe has been a TD for Wexford since 2002. He was announced as a junior minister and Government Chief Whip yesterday.
  • Creighton has had her ups and downs with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny but she topped her constituency at Dublin South East this time out. She has been FG's deputy spokesperson on Justice and Law Reform with special responsibility for Immigration, Integration and Equality.
  • Labour's Jan O'Sullivan may have been disappointed not to be included at Cabinet level, as a high-profile spokesperson on Health. She was first elected as a TD in Limerick in 1998 following the death of the popular Jim Kemmy.
  • Dublin North West TD Roisin Shortall was a shoo-in on the first count at the recent election. She is a former chairperson of the then Eastern Health Board and was Labour's spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs.
  • He followed his father Joe's successful history as a TD in Cork East in 2007, and this time out, scored the first seat in the constituency. Sherlock was Labour's Agriculture and Food spokesperson.
  • Former Democratic Left TD Lynch has been Labour's spokesperson on Disability and Equality. She is sister-in-law of Ciaran Lynch, Labour TD in Cork South Central.
  • O'Dowd was named Magill magazine's TD of the year in 2006... This is his third consecutive term as a Fine Gael TD and has been the party's Education and Skills spokesperson since July last year.
  • Ring professed his dissatisfaction at not being part of Enda's line-up of full ministers yesterday so hopefully this junior portfolio will cheer him up somewhat. The Mayo TD has been party spokesperson on Social Protection but also on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht.
  • Sligo North-Leitrim TD Perry has been Fine Gael's go-to guy on Small Businesses and has been a Dail deputy since 1997.
  • Dail veteran McGinley is beginning his ninth successive term as a Fine Gael TD for Donegal South West. He has a wide breadth of experience as a front-bench spokesperson for the party. McGinley had announced his retirement from politics in 2006 but later changed his mind.
  • Fine Gael's Shane McEntee is a TD for Meath East. he was first elected to the Dáil after a by-election in March 2005 to fill John Bruton's seat.
  • Kelly was elected to the Seanad's Agricultural panel in 2007 before winning a seat at the European Parliament in 2009 for Labour.

See Enda Kenny’s new coalition cabinet of full ministers, in pictures>

Additional reporting by Susan Ryan

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