FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER Simon Coveney has said he would like to stay in his current role after the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle, but conceded he has “no idea” what will happen next month.

Speaking to Pat Kenny on Newstalk, Coveney said his understanding was that there has not yet been a “serious discussion” between the three coalition leaders about the reshuffle, which will happen when Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar swap roles.

Yes, there’ll be changes in government but for me, it’s been an extraordinary privilege to be in in the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defence

“I love this job. I’d like to stay here but if there’s change, there’s change, and I’ve been around long enough to to understand what drives those decisions,” he said.

Speculations has mounted in recent weeks that Micheál Martin will replace Coveney as Foreign Affairs minister, but Cabinet members have mostly remained tight lipped on the details of the reshuffle.

The government has agreed that the date for the changeover to elect a new Taoiseach will take place on 17 December.

Micheál Martin was due to remain as Taoiseach until 15 December, after which Tánaiste Leo Varadkar would take over. However, it is understood that the changeover date was delayed due to a clash with a European Council Summit in Brussels, which Martin was due to attend.

It is understood that he will now attend the summit before stepping down as Taoiseach.

Varadkar will then take over the role under the agreed alternating system under the programme for government.

When asked about the departments that Fianna Fáil is hoping to head up with its own TDs, Coveney said, laughing: “,Fianna Fáil won’t be the only ones who will want things.

“My understanding is that there hasn’t been a serious discussion between the three party leaders … we’ve got a lot of work to get on with between now and then and I don’t think we should obsess about it over the next month.”

Current Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath is set to become Minister for Finance, while the current Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will take up the public expenditure role.

Martin has previously said that Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien will remain in his position following the reshuffle.