With Independent support, Simon Harris is confirmed as Taoiseach
On Tuesday, newly-confirmed Fine Gael Leader Simon Harris was elected as the country’s new Taoiseach. This makes him the youngest person in the history of the State to lead the government. The new Taoiseach received the support of a number of Independent TDs within the Dáil to be elected by a vote of 88 to 69. Subsequently, Mr Harris travelled to Áras an Uachtaráin to meet President Michael D Higgins to receive the seal of office.
President of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald TD, led the chorus of opposition calls for a general election and criticism of the new Taoiseach. Mrs McDonald particularly targeted the support Mr Harris received from coalition partners Fianna Fáil and a number of Independents: “Fianna Fáil refused to vote confidence in Simon Harris as minister for health in 2020 – it caused an election, if you all recall. [On Tuesday], they dutifully line up to vote him in as Taoiseach, joined at the hip by a group of independent TDs.” Opposition political parties were united with this view, with nearly 60% of Irish people also wanting an election to be called according to a recent poll.
In his address to the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Galway, Harris set out the key priorities he would be focusing upon for the remainder of the Dáil term. Unsurprisingly, housing was the first item on the agenda, with the Fine Gael leader pledging to deliver 250,000 homes in 5 years and extending the Help-to-Buy scheme by a further five years. Also featuring high on the Taoiseach’s agenda were tackling the costs facing business, delivering upon Law & Order and supporting farmers. Harris further paid tribute to his predecessor Leo Varadkar’s leadership through Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Getting down to business, the Taoiseach made his cabinet and junior minister appointments: Peter Burke replaces Simon Coveney as Enterprise Minister, with Patrick O’Donovan replacing the Taoiseach in the DFHERIS portfolio. Within the junior minister ranks, Emer Higgins, Colm Burke and Alan Dillon were afforded portfolios – following a number of moves of incumbent Ministers of State including Kieran O’Donnell, Neale Richmond and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
The next general election must be called by March 2025, leaving Harris limited time to deliver upon key policy priorities. With local and European elections forthcoming in June also, the Taoiseach will be keen to hit the ground running and arrest concerns over Fine Gael’s fortunes going into the next election.