Fianna Fáil delegation jetting back from China to vote Jack Chambers in as Finance Minister

Cork TDs Paidí O’Sullivan and James O’Connor, along with Senator Erin McGreehan, were on an Oireachtas visit to China when it emerged a vote was to be held following the nomination of Michael McGrath to become Ireland’s next European Commissioner.

The two deputies are expected to return in time to vote Mr Chambers in as the new Finance Minister tomorrow afternoon. They did not respond to requests for comment.

Speculation has now moved on to who will fill the super junior ministry vacated by Mr Chambers with internal Fianna Fáil sources suggesting Minister of State Dara Calleary could finally return to Cabinet.

However, there was no confirmation last night as to who Tánaiste Micheál Martin would appoint to the position. Fianna Fáil sources said Mr Martin is keeping his decision making process “very tight”. There was some concern in Fianna Fáil over Mr McGrath being replaced by the 33-year-old TD with no experience in a senior ministry.

“Michael was a safe pair of hands who people trust and I don’t know how good this is for us,” a Fianna Fáil TD said. “Jack is very young and things can go wrong easily in budget negotiations,” the TD added.

In Fine Gael, the appointment of Mr Chambers was greeted with some shock. One senior source said the elevation was aimed at giving Fianna Fáil’s leadership team a more youthful look after the election of Simon Harris as Taoiseach.

Since being re-elected to the Dáil in 2020, Mr Chambers has held a number of minister of state roles.

He was junior minister in the Finance Department for just two weeks before moving up to become Government Chief Whip until 2022. He was also a Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, and in the Department of Defence.

Following Leo Varadkar’s 2022 reshuffle, he was moved to become Minister of State at both the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment.

The nomination of Mr McGrath to the EU Commission by the Tánaiste was discussed at a meeting of the three Government party leaders on Monday evening.

Mr McGrath will earn more than €300,000-a-year in the position and will benefit from a range of lucrative allowances and expenses available to European Commissioners.

He will succeed Fine Gael-nominated commissioner Mairead McGuinness.

Asked about what portfolio he would hope to get, Mr McGrath said: “It is something we will discuss collectively over the days ahead”.

“Obviously, the background I have, my own qualifications, my political experience, all lie in the broad economic and financial area and that would seem to be an obvious area where my skills can be deployed.

“As you know, when it comes to the allocation of different portfolios by the president of the Commission, there are many factors that come into play,” he added.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said Mr McGrath is a nominee “everybody in the Irish government will proudly get behind”.

“As a Government and as a country, I believe we are lucky to have a person of such high ability and standing to bring forward as our country’s nominee,” he said.

“Michael is a very good colleague, a dedicated public servant, a skilled minister, and an extremely diligent and hard worker.

“These qualities, and indeed the experience he has developed at a European level as our finance minister, and many other qualities that he possesses, as both a politician and a person, will be key to his success. His new role though will not only be above party politics, but also above national politics too,” he added.

The Tánaiste said he wanted to nominated someone to the position who is of a “very high calibre”.

“With his ability and experience, Michael is an excellent candidate. I want to congratulate him and I wish him and his family the very best in the time ahead,” he added.

The Taoiseach is travelling to the Brussels on Thursday to discuss who should lead the European Commission with his counterparts in other EU member states.

It is the first European Council Summit since the continent-wide elections earlier this month and will focus on the horse-trading surrounding the senior roles in Brussels.

He will put forward Mr McGrath’s name in the hope he will secure a senior financial role on the Commission.