Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney has said that he will not be making himself “available to serve in cabinet” when the Dáil resumes next week.
In a post on X, Minister Coveney said: “Last night I spoke to Simon Harris to inform him that I would not be making myself available to serve in cabinet when the Dáil resumes next week.
“I’ll continue to work as a proud TD for Cork South Central and will of course actively support the government in the Dáil,” Minister Coveney added.
Minister Coveney was Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine from 2011 to 2016.
Minister Coveney’s announcement comes as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris is set to be confirmed as the new Taoiseach in the coming days.
Harris is now the leader of Fine Gael, after former party leader Leo Varadkar announced his resignation from that position last month.
The new leader of Fine Gael and Taoiseach-in-waiting used his first speech as party leader to mention the farming community and rural Ireland.
Speaking after his selection as Fine Gael leader on March 24, Harris touched on farmers and rural Ireland.
“This party stands for supporting the family farm. It stands not for lecturing farmers, but for helping them. For helping farmers to transition to meet the challenges of both food security and climate change,” he said.
“We believe in regional development. It’s essential. And to people in rural Ireland, let me say this. We have your back,” Minister Harris added.
Harris was confirmed as the party’s leader following a leadership selection process in which the Wicklow TD was the only candidate.
As Fine Gael currently holds the role of Taoiseach in the coalition agreement with Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, it is virtually certain that Minister Harris will become Taoiseach in the coming days.