Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to formally announce for the information of the Dáil that this morning I accepted the resignations of all outgoing Ministers of State. I thank them all for their work in respect of their various responsibilities and for their commitment and support.

I also wish to announce for the information of the Dáil that following my acceptance of the resignations, the Government today, on my nomination, appointed the following to be Ministers of State: Deputy Carey to be Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip; Deputy Barry Andrews to be Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Science and Justice, Equality and Law Reform with special responsibility for children and young people; Deputy Roche to be Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European affairs; Deputy Sargent to be Minister of State at the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Health and Children with special responsibility for food, horticulture and food safety; Deputy Killeen to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with special responsibility for forestry, fisheries and the marine; Deputy Conor Lenihan to be Minister of State at the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Education and Science and Communications, Energy and Natural Resources with special responsibility for science, technology, innovation, the information society and natural resources; Deputy Haughey to be Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science with special responsibility for lifelong learning and school transport; Deputy Kelleher to be Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for trade and commerce; Deputy Moloney 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 equality, disability issues and mental health; Deputy Finneran to be Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with special responsibility for housing and local services; Deputy Curran to be Minister of State at the Departments of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Education and Science and Justice, Equality and Law Reform with special responsibility for integration and community affairs; Deputy Peter Power to be Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for overseas development; Deputy Mansergh to be Minister of State at the Departments of Finance, including special responsibility for the Office of Public Works, and Arts, Sport and Tourism with special responsibility for the arts; Deputy Áine Brady 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 and health promotion; and Deputy Calleary to be Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for labour affairs.

An announcement in respect of these appointments was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas earlier this afternoon.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Briefly, I make no secret of the fact that my party believes the Taoiseach should have gone further both in reducing the numbers and in the remuneration of the offices. Notwithstanding that, I congratulate the new appointees in particular, namely, Deputies Áine Brady and Calleary. The Cabinet still will be "Kitted" out as although one Deputy Kitt has departed, another Deputy Kitt has entered as a replacement, which I suppose is a fair exchange. I commiserate with those who have lost their positions, namely, Deputies Devins, Seán Power, Micheál Kitt, Hoctor, McGuinness, Noel Ahern and Wallace. They have put in a great effort in their roles and I am sure the House will commiserate with them on their loss of office.

On a lighter note, this reminds me of when I was made a Minister of State, when the late John Boland described me as being appointed third mate on the Titanic. In this case there are 15 mates, which is enough to fill an entire lifeboat. That said, I wish them well in these troubled times. I hope their work will be crowned with success and will make a difference, not only to those appointed today but to the people, who Members seek to serve.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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First, I join with Deputy Bruton in congratulating Deputies Áine Brady and Calleary on their appointment as Ministers of State. It is a proud day for them and I wholeheartedly congratulate them. I also congratulate all the Ministers of State who survived and commiserate with those who were not reappointed. While it is a disappointing day for them, to some extent that is the way of politics.

The only point I will make about the appointments is that the country needs somewhat more profound political change than simply making some changes in the office of Ministers of State. However, that probably is for lá eile.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I also wish to join with other voices in the Dáil in extending congratulations to the newly-appointed Ministers of State, Deputies Áine Brady and Calleary. I wish them both the very best in their new positions. However, the critical news that all Members await is not the appointment of new Ministers of State or the reappointment of others. It pertains to a required new policy direction that will take on board many of the sound arguments that have been presented by Opposition parties in this House in recent months and which are relevant to the serious economic crisis in which we find ourselves. The cutting of the number of Ministers of State and the shuffling of personnel is not an answer. Although I hope it will prove to be otherwise, many will consider this to be nothing more than part of a smokescreen placed over the Government's failure to address the real issues of the retention of jobs and the creation of new job opportunities, which are the two critical elements that have been missing from the Government's entire approach. Against the backdrop of the Social Welfare Bill before the House today-----

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Only brief comments for valedictory purposes may be allowed at this time and-----

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It is a brief comment on the Social Welfare Bill at this point. Against that backdrop-----

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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-----that does not sound valedictory to me. Let us move on.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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-----I am afraid there will be little joy in Members' respective communities.