Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is the pinnacle of a long career. It is absolutely clear that she has benefited from the exceptional support and encouragement of her family. We extend to her our congratulations on her achievement again.

It is natural that much of the coverage of today’s reshuffle will be about personalities. The winners and losers will be raked over and undoubtedly stories will emerge of deep arguments and disappointments; we have heard some already. However, this must not distract us from the substance. It is not the personalities that matter but the policies they implement. All the evidence is that very little will change because of this reshuffle. It is a bit like cosmetic surgery - nothing major has changed. The public want a new direction not just new faces, but they have not got that new direction.

As the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have just said, they believe that they have been fundamentally correct in the past three and a half years. Yet today they are publishing a new policy document, or will do so shortly as the Taoiseach said, after spending the last few days essentially tinkering around the edges of the programme for Government rather than making any significant policy changes.

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