Government of the 33rd Dáil

Nomination of Taoiseach

The 33rd Dáil first met on 20 February 2020. Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Micheál Martin, Fianna Fáil leader, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin leader, and Eamon Ryan, Green Party leader, were each proposed for nomination as Taoiseach. None of the four motions were successful. Varadkar announced that he would resign as Taoiseach but that under the provisions of Article 28.11 of the Constitution, the members of the government would continue to carry out their duties until their successors were appointed.^[7][8]

On 27 June, the Dáil again debated nominations for the position of Taoiseach. The nomination of Martin was approved by the Dáil.^[9] Martin was then appointed as Taoiseach by President Michael D. Higgins.^[10][11]

27 June 2020 Nomination of Micheál Martin (FF) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Norma Foley and seconded by James O'Connor Absolute majority: 81/160[12]
Vote	Parties	Votes
Y Yes	Fianna Fáil (37), Fine Gael (35), Green Party (12), Independents (9)	93 / 160
No	Sinn Féin (37), Independents (7), Labour Party (6), Social Democrats (6), Solidarity–People Before Profit (5), Aontú (1), Right to Change (1)	63 / 160
Abstain	Independents (3)	3 / 160
Not voting	Ceann Comhairle (1)	1 / 160

Government ministers

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Micheál Martin proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil.^[11][13][14] They were appointed by the president on the same day.^{[15][16][17][18]}

Attorney General

Paul Gallagher SC was appointed by the president as Attorney General on the nomination of the Taoiseach, a role he had previously served in from 2007 to 2011.^[11][17]

Ministers of state

On 27 June 2020, the government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed Dara Calleary, TD, Hildegarde Naughton, TD, and Sen. Pippa Hackett as ministers of state attending at cabinet without a vote.^[16][11][48] Pippa Hackett is the first senator to have been appointed as a Minister of State. On 1 July, the government appointed seventeen further ministers of state on the nomination of the Taoiseach.^[49][17][18]

Events affecting the government

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Barry Cowen was sacked on 14 July 2020 because of driving offences which he had committed but not disclosed to Micheál Martin prior to his appointment to cabinet.^[32] He was replaced by Dara Calleary.

Legislation was passed to allow each of three Ministers of State who attend cabinet meetings to receive an allowance, as previous legislation had provided an allowance for two only.^[75] After public dissatisfaction with the proposal, the three ministers of state agreed on 28 July 2020 to share the existing allowance between them, rather than accept the increase.^[76]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Dara Calleary resigned on 21 August 2020 after the fallout from the Oireachtas Golf Society scandal.^[35] Phil Hogan resigned as European Commissioner for Trade on 26 August 2020 in response to the same events.^[77]

In October 2020, Village magazine published a claim that Leo Varadkar had provided a copy of a confidential document to the head of the National Association of General Practitioners that had been part of negotiations with the Irish Medical Organisation in April 2019 while Taoiseach.^[78] Fine Gael issued a statement which described the article as "both inaccurate and grossly defamatory", and while accepting that the provision of the agreement by private channels was "not best practice", said there was nothing unlawful about what had occurred.^[79] Sinn Féin tabled a motion of no confidence in the Tánaiste. In response, the Taoiseach moved a motion of confidence.

At a cabinet meeting in July 2021, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney announced the appointment of Katherine Zappone, former Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, to the newly created position of Special Envoy to the UN for Freedom of Opinion and Expression. It emerged that the proposed appointment had not been flagged by Coveney with the Taoiseach in advance of the meeting.^[80] Zappone declined the appointment after the Merrion Hotel controversy arose, in which the Irish Independent reported that six days prior to the announcement of her appointment, Zappone had hosted a gathering for 50 guests, including Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, at the Merrion Hotel while the COVID-19 pandemic was ongoing. Comparisons were made between the gathering and the Golfgate scandal earlier in the pandemic.^[81] Sinn Féin tabled a motion of no confidence in Coveney, to be debated on 15 September on the return of the Dáil from the summer recess. In response, the Taoiseach moved a motion of confidence.^[82]

On 6 July 2022, the government lost its majority after Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh voted against legislation underpinning a €2.7 billion mica redress scheme and subsequently resigned the Fine Gael party whip.^[83] Sinn Féin tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, to be debated on 12 July before the summer recess.^[84] In response, the Taoiseach moved a motion of confidence.^[85]

On 24 August 2022, Robert Troy resigned as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment after his failure to declare property interest was revealed by The Ditch.^[71][86] He was succeeded by former Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary.^[87]

In December 2022, People Before Profit–Solidarity tabled a motion of no confidence in Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien, to be debated on 13 December, four days before a new government was formed. The group claimed the worsening housing and homelessness crisis under O'Brien was "tearing apart the social fabric of Irish society and leading to the scapegoating of refugees". In response, the Taoiseach moved a motion of confidence.^[88][89]

Budgets

The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, delivered the following budgets:

• 2021 budget, delivered on 13 October 2020
• 2022 budget, delivered on 12 October 2021
• 2023 budget, delivered on 27 September 2022

Motions of confidence

On 10 November 2020, a motion of confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, proposed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, was approved with 92 votes in favour to 65 against.^[90]

On 15 September 2021, a motion of confidence in the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Simon Coveney, proposed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, was approved with 92 votes in favour to 59 against.^[91]

On 12 July 2022, a motion of confidence in the government, proposed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, was approved with 85 votes in favour to 66 against, with one abstention.^[92]

On 13 December 2022, a motion of confidence in the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, proposed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, was approved with 86 votes in favour to 63 against, with one abstention.^[93]

Resignation

Micheál Martin resigned as Taoiseach on Saturday 17 December 2022 to allow the appointment of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach and the formation of a new government, a continuation of the coalition agreement between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party.^[94][95] The date agreed in the Programme for Government had been Thursday 15 December, but this date was put back to facilitate Martin's attendance at a meeting of the European Council.^[2]

Nomination of Taoiseach

After the resignation of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach on 17 December 2022, Leo Varadkar was proposed for the nomination of the Dáil for the position of Taoiseach.^[96] This motion was approved and Varadkar was appointed by President Michael D. Higgins.^[97]

17 December 2022 Nomination of Leo Varadkar (FG) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Richard Bruton and seconded by Emer Higgins Absolute majority: 81/160[98]
Vote	Parties	Votes
Y Yes	Fianna Fáil (36), Fine Gael (32), Green Party (12), Independents (7)	87 / 160
No	Sinn Féin (36), Labour Party (7), Social Democrats (5), People Before Profit–Solidarity (5), Aontú (1), Right to Change (1), Independents (7)	62 / 160
Abstain	Independent (1)	1 / 160
Absent or Not voting	Ceann Comhairle, Leas-Cheann Comhairle,[a] Fine Gael (1), Social Democrats (1),[b] Independents (6)	10 / 160

Government ministers

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Leo Varadkar proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil.^[100][101] They were appointed by the president on the same day.^[102]

Attorney General

Rossa Fanning SC was appointed by the president as Attorney General on the nomination of the Taoiseach.^[100][102]

Ministers of state

On 17 December 2022, the government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed Hildegarde Naughton, TD, Jack Chambers, TD, and Sen. Pippa Hackett as ministers of state attending at cabinet without a vote.^[102] On 21 December, the government appointed seventeen further ministers of state on the nomination of the Taoiseach.^[104][105]

Events affecting the government

A month after the government was formed, in January 2023, news website The Ditch published a story claiming Minister of State for Employment Affairs and Retail Business Damien English failed to declare ownership of an existing home in his planning application for a new property in 2008. It also claimed he neglected to declare such ownership in the Dáil register of interests.^[132][133] He resigned as Minister of State on 12 January 2023.^[134][135] He was succeeded by Neale Richmond.^[128]

Also in January, the Sunday Independent revealed that Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe failed to properly declare a donation from a company in 2016. The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) made a complaint against Donohoe that the Designer Group engineering firm used two company vans and six employees to erect and later remove election posters for Donohoe in his Dublin Central constituency during the 2016 general election campaign.^[136] On 14 January, Donohoe began conducting a review of his election expenses statements amid the allegations which he had denied.^[137] The next day, on 15 January, he apologised for making incorrect declarations of election expenses and donations during his campaign and said he would recuse himself from any decision making around ethics legislation while the SIPO investigated him, but refused to resign as minister.^[138][139] The controversy intensified on 20 January when Donohoe identified a new issue over expenses from the 2020 general election.^[140]

In March 2023, the government ended a ban on evictions, with effect from 31 March. Sinn Féin tabled a motion calling on the government to extend the ban until the end of January 2024. A government amendment to this motion was carried by a vote of 83 to 68.^[141] In a series of votes, Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan broke with the government whip, leading to her suspension from the parliamentary party.^[142] The Labour Party tabled a motion of no confidence in the government.^[143][144]

On 23 November 2023, a riot broke out in Dublin following an attack on three children and a care assistant by a male immigrant of Algerian origin. Following the riot, opposition politicians called for the resignations of the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. On 1 December, a week after the riot, Sinn Féin announced that they would bring a motion of no confidence in McEntee. In response, the Taoiseach moved a vote of confidence in McEntee on 5 December.

Constitutional referendums

The government held two referendums on 8 March 2024 on proposed amendments to the Constitution of Ireland. The Thirty-ninth Amendment proposed to expand the constitutional definition of family to include durable relationships outside marriage. The Fortieth Amendment proposed to replace a reference to women's "life within the home" and a constitutional obligation to "endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home" with a gender-neutral article on supporting care within the family.^[145]

Voters comprehensively rejected both bills, with 67.69 percent voting No to the proposed Thirty-ninth Amendment on the Family and 73.93 percent voting No to the proposed Fortieth Amendment on Care.^[146] These were the highest and third-highest percentage votes for No in the history of Irish constitutional referendums.^[147]

Budgets

The Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, and Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, delivered the following budgets:

• 2024 budget, delivered on 10 October 2023

Motions of confidence

On 29 March 2023, a motion of confidence in the government, proposed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, was approved with 86 votes in favour to 67 against.^[148]

On 5 December 2023, a motion of confidence in the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee proposed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was approved with 83 votes in favour to 63 against, with one abstention.^[149]

Resignation

Varadkar resigned as leader of Fine Gael on 20 March 2024 and was succeeded on 24 March by Simon Harris. Varadkar resigned as Taoiseach on 8 April.^[6]

Nomination of Taoiseach

Following the resignation of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach on 8 April, the Dáil reconvened on 9 April.

Simon Harris and Michael Healy-Rae were proposed for the nomination of the Dáil for the position of Taoiseach. The motion proposing the nomination of Harris was approved with 88 for and 69 against the motion and Harris was appointed by President Michael D. Higgins. This appointment made Harris Ireland's youngest Taoiseach to date and also marked the first time three Taoisigh were appointed within a single Dáil term.

9 April 2024 Nomination of Simon Harris (FG) as Taoiseach Motion proposed by Heather Humphreys and seconded by Peter Burke Absolute majority: 81/160[150]
Vote	Parties	Votes
Y Yes	Fianna Fáil (36), Fine Gael (32), Green Party (11), Independents (9)	88 / 160
No	Sinn Féin (36), Independents (11), Labour Party (7), Social Democrats (6), Solidarity–People Before Profit (4), Independent Ireland (3), Aontú (1), Right to Change (1)	69 / 160
Absent or not voting	Ceann Comhairle, Fine Gael (1), People Before Profit–Solidarity (1)	3 / 160

Government ministers

After his appointment as Taoiseach by the president, Simon Harris proposed the members of the government and they were approved by the Dáil.^[151] They were appointed by the president on the same day.^[152]

Ministers of state

On 9 April 2024, the government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed Hildegarde Naughton, TD, Jack Chambers, TD, Sen. Pippa Hackett, and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD, as ministers of state.^[152][151] On 10 April 2024, the government on the nomination of the Taoiseach appointed 16 further ministers of state.^[155]

Budgets

The Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers, and Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, delivered the following budgets:

• 2025 budget, delivered on 1 October 2024.

Resignation

On 8 November 2024, Taoiseach Simon Harris sought a dissolution of the Dáil which was granted by the president, with the new Dáil to convene on 18 December.^[174] The 2024 general election took place on 29 November. On 18 December, before the first meeting of the 34th Dáil, Harris submitted his resignation to the president.^[175] The other members of the government were also deemed to have resigned, but the taoiseach and the other members of the government continued to carry on their duties until the appointment of their successors on 23 January 2025.