Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

It is the most important issue facing the country and there is a Minister for everything else but not employment. It is an extraordinary decision. The employment functions should have been taken from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment - dealing with the people who are on benefits and of a working age - and put in a new Department of employment, work and skills, or work and benefits. The Taoiseach should have done as they did in the UK.

The issue of the public sector is another botched job. Deputy Dara Calleary will be Minister of State with responsibility for labour affairs, which will be a big job considering the state the country is in. He will have to co-ordinate across two other Department - a total of three Departments - to deal with public sector reform. There will also be a Cabinet committee and a public sector board and quango.

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