There will be at least two Galway ministers around the Cabinet table when the new government meets for the first time next week.

Galway East TD, Seán Canney, and Galway West’s Deputy Noel Grealish will take up roles as ‘Super Junior Ministers’ on Wednesday after the Dáil meets to elect Micheál Martin as Taoiseach.

The Connacht Tribune has learned that Deputy Canney will be made Minister of State in the Department of Transport, with responsibility for roads, rail and ports.

Deputy Grealish has secured the role of Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture – believed to be related to food innovation and production.

The pair, as ‘super juniors’, will sit at Cabinet but will not have a vote in the rare event of decisions going to a split-decision at Cabinet level.

Deputies Canney and Grealish will receive all Cabinet memos in advance and will have “direct input” into setting the agenda.

It’s understood that Deputy Canney will act as ‘de facto group leader’ for the Independents, attending weekly meetings with the soon-to-be Taoiseach and Tánaiste, Micheál Martin and Simon Harris, similar to the role held by the Green Party’s Eamon Ryan in the last government.

All eyes will now turn to the role of outgoing Government Chief Whip, Hildegarde Naughton, to see if she can secure an elusive senior ministry – a role not held by a Galway TD since Éamon Ó Cuív left office with the ousting of the Fianna Fáil government in 2011.

Caption: Sean Canney…. Super Junior Minister.

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