This article first appeared on Galway Bay FM

Galway West TD Mairead Farrell has slammed the Government’s creation of “jobs for the boys” as the Dáil passes the bill to increase the number of junior ministers.

They include her constituency colleagues Hildegarde Naughton and Noel Grealish as well as Galway East’s Sean Canney

She told the Dáil it’s beyond shocking that this has been a top Government priority when thousands are struggling in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn.

There were countless rows in the chamber but the bill was passed, increasing the number of junior ministers from 20 to 23 – that’s up from 15 ten years ago.

Deputy Paul Murphy said Minister Jack Chambers should be embarrassed his first act is a “stroke” and a “blatant sharing out of the spoils of political office”.

Sinn Fein Deputy Farrell said it’s outrageous.