FF regains Gaeltacht portfolio

• Published date: 11 April 2024
• Author: HARRY McGEE
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

The Government confirmed that Thomas Byrne, the Minister of State for Sport, will take over the role, which was previously a Fine Gael responsibility. It formed part of the remit of Patrick O’Donovan when he was the junior minister for the Office of Public Works

There was some confusion yesterday afternoon following the Cabinet meeting as to the identity of the new Minister. Some sources on the Fine Gael side were of the view that the Chief Whip, Hildegarde Naughton, would take on that responsibility and had been offered the role.

However, the Government spokesman later clarified that Mr Byrne would in fact become the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht.

The Meath East TD was educated through Irish, speaks fluently, and is educating his own children through Irish. He also has connections with the Ráth Chairn Gaeltacht in Co Meath.

The Gaeltacht came to be within the remit of Fine Gael after the change of the role of taoiseach between both parties in late 2022. In the first period of government, Fianna Fáil chief whip Jack Chambers had the responsibility but his successor as Chief Whip, Ms Naughton, did not take on the role. Instead it went to Mr O’Donovan.

Sources told The Irish Times that the Gaeltacht portfolio posed a problem for Fine Gael Ministers because of insufficient command of the language, or an unwillingness to take on the job. Fianna...