Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney has been announced as the new Tánaiste.
Minister Coveney takes the seat of Frances Fitzgerald, who resigned from Government this week in the wake of the political controversy regarding garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe.
Coveney is the Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central. His current role carries special responsibility for Brexit in Irish Government.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar nominated his former leadership opponent to the role of Tánaiste today, tweeting that he was “Delighted to appoint Simon Coveney as Tanaiste. This will enhance his position across Europe in our vital Brexit negotiations.”
Coveney was appointed Deputy Leader of Fine Gael in June 2017. He became Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade with special responsibility for Brexit in the new cabinet when Leo Varadkar T.D. assumed the role of Taoiseach and Leader of Fine Gael.
Since his first election to Dail Eireann in 1998, Coveney has served as Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Minister for Defence. He was also elected as a Member of the European Parliament( MEP) in 2004.
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