Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I wish to announce, for the information of the Dáil:

(1) that, having informed the President that Dáil Éireann had approved my nomination of Deputies to be members of the Government, the President, on 14 June 2007, appointed them accordingly;

(2) that, on the same date, I nominated Deputy Cowen to be the Tánaiste and assigned the Department of Finance to him;

(3) that, on the same date, I assigned the Departments of State to the other members of Government as follows: the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Harney; the Department of Transport and the Marine, Deputy Dempsey; the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern; the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin; the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy Brennan; the Department of Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Cullen; the Department Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív; the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan; the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin; the Department of Defence, Deputy O'Dea; the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan; the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley; and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan;

(4) that, on 14 June 2007, the President appointed Paul Gallagher, SC, as Attorney General;

(5) that, on the same date, the Government appointed Deputy Tom Kitt to be Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip and at the Department of Defence, and Deputy Roche to be Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for European affairs;

(6) that, on 20 June 2007, the Government appointed Deputy Smith to be Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, at the Department of Education and Science and at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, with special responsibility for children; Deputy Gallagher to be Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, with special responsibility for health promotion and food safety; Deputy Browne to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with special responsibility for fisheries; Deputy Michael Ahern to be Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and at the Department of Education and Science, with special responsibility for innovation policy; Deputy Noel Ahern to be Minister of State at the Department of Finance, with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works; Deputy Seán Power to be Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, with special responsibility for equality issues; Deputy Batt O'Keeffe to be Minster of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, with special responsibility for housing, urban renewal and developing areas; Deputy Killeen to be Minister of the State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, with special responsibility for the environment and energy; Deputy Conor Lenihan to be Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, at the Department of Education and Science and at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, with special responsibility for integration policy; Deputy Wallace to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with special responsibility for forestry; Deputy Haughey to be Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science and at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with special responsibility for lifelong learning, youth work and school transport; Deputy Michael Kitt to be Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for overseas development; Deputy Trevor Sargent to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, with special responsibility for food and horticulture; Deputy Pat Carey to be Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, with special responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs; and Deputy Billy Kelleher to be Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with special responsibility for labour affairs.

(7) that, when the amending legislation providing for an additional three Ministers of State is enacted, I intend to ask the Government to appoint the following as Ministers of State: Deputy John McGuinness to be Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with special responsibility for trade and commerce; Deputy Jimmy Devins to be Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Science, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Justice, Equality and Law Reform, with special responsibility for disability issues and mental health, excluding discrimination; and Deputy Máire Hoctor to be Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Children, Social and Family Affairs and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, with special responsibility for older people.

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