Leo Varadkar pledges humility and resolve as he becomes Irish premier again

In a planned handover of power at the top of the ruling three-party coalition government in Dublin, Fine Gael leader Mr Varadkar replaced Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin as taoiseach on Saturday.

Irish parliamentarians in the Dail voted 87 to 62 to support his appointment in a special sitting.

Mr Varadkar was officially confirmed as premier at an audience with the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins at his residence in Dublin shortly afterwards.

After receiving the seal of office from the president, Mr Varadkar said: “I’m honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to serve again. And I look forward to getting down to the hard work in the next few hours.”

Mr Martin earlier formally tendered his resignation to Mr Higgins, paving the way for Mr Varadkar to succeed him.

After receiving a standing ovation from TDs on the government benches when his nomination was confirmed in the Dail, Mr Varadkar made reference to the foundation of the Irish state one hundred years ago as he vowed to deliver for the country’s citizens.

“As taoiseach my mission will be to build on the achievement of 100 years ago, and to work on what needs to be done for this generation and the next,” he said.

“Providing hope and housing, economic opportunities and a fair start for all.

“And so I accept this nomination by the Dail with humility and resolve, with a burning desire to make good the promise of 100 years ago and to provide new hope and new opportunities for all of our citizens.”

The Fine Gael leader has replaced the Fianna Fail leader as taoiseach under the terms of the coalition deal struck in 2020.

Mr Martin was accompanied by his wife Mary when he tendered his resignation during an audience with Mr Higgins at the presidential residence at Aras an Uachtarain on Saturday.

He said it has been “the honour of a lifetime” to serve the public as taoiseach.

Addressing the Dail at the start of Saturday’s special sitting, he said: “It is both a privilege and a responsibility to serve as head of government in a free and democratic republic.

“I have been deeply conscious of this every day I have held the office of taoiseach. I have sought always to work on behalf of all the Irish people and not just those who support my party and our colleagues in government.”

Mr Martin received a standing ovation from a majority of TDs in the chamber after his speech.

Two of Mr Varadkar’s Fine Gael colleagues then proposed and seconded a motion nominating him as taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar’s parents, Miriam and Ashok, and his partner, Matthew Barrett, were among those who watched from the gallery. They later joined him at the president’s residence when his appointment was formally confirmed.

During the Dail session, parties were given an opportunity to comment on the motion.

Mr Martin, speaking for Fianna Fail, paid tribute to his one-time fierce political rival.

“I want to thank him for his co-operation over the last two and a half years and his dedicated work,” he said.

“The Government has worked on the many enormous pressures but we’ve succeeded in keeping our focus on moving our country forward. I look forward to maintaining this spirit during the rest of our term.”

When Mr Varadkar’s nomination was confirmed, he returned the compliment to Mr Martin.

“I want to take this opportunity to commend Micheal Martin on the leadership he has shown as taoiseach, for putting the country before politics, and for providing reassurance and hope during difficult times,” he said.

Setting aside almost a century of animosity, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, two parties forged out of Ireland’s Civil War of the 1920s, agreed to share power in 2020 after that year’s inconclusive general election result.

Ireland’s Green Party also joined the coalition.

Supporting Mr Varadkar’s nomination, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan made a footballing analogy.

“It’s like half time. The captain’s armband will be passed from one to the other,” he said.

“But it will be a similar team and one thing I know, I’m absolutely certain for sure, that Micheal Martin, tanaiste (deputy premier) Micheal Martin, will be running out on Monday morning with the rest of us, determined to do everything we can to serve the Irish people.”

While Fianna Fail emerged from the 2020 poll narrowly winning the most seats (38), Sinn Fein (which won 37 seats) secured the most first preference votes.

Sinn Fein accused its two main rivals of conspiring to keep it out of power after the general election and has continued to heavily criticise the coalition administration in its role as the main opposition party in the Dail.

The dynamic between the three big parties is set to dominate the narrative of Irish politics leading up to the next general election, which has to take place by spring 2025.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of the main opposition party, criticised the Government’s record as she opposed the nomination of Mr Varadkar during Saturday’s Dail exchanges.

She said the resignation of Mr Martin should trigger a general election as she accused the coalition of being “out of touch, out of ideas and out of time”.

“We should now have a general election because we need a change of government,” she said.

Ms McDonald questioned the outgoing taoiseach’s claim the government is delivering.

“Well, the rest of us must live in a very different Ireland from you,” she said.

“We live in an Ireland where, during your time leading government, the housing emergency has gotten worse, where the crisis in health has gotten worse, where households struggle to get by.

“And you now pass the baton to Leo Varadkar at a time where more than 11,000 of our people are homeless, including more than 3,000 children. Close to one million people are on treatment waiting lists, many working families queue at food banks to get a hot meal.

“Surely you cannot count this as success?”

Mr Varadkar previously served as taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 at the head of a minority Fine Gael administration which relied on a confidence and supply arrangement with Fianna Fail to maintain power.

The mid-term switch of premiers also prompted a Cabinet reshuffle in Dublin, but there was minimal movement among the departmental portfolios.

Mr Martin has become deputy premier (Tanaiste) and Ireland’s foreign affairs minister.

He has also taken the post of defence minister.

Simon Coveney has replaced his party leader Mr Varadkar at the helm of the Department of Enterprise.

Mr Varadkar vacated the ministry upon becoming taoiseach.

Fine Gael Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Fianna Fail Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath have switched roles as had already been agreed as part of the coalition agreement.

As he announced his Cabinet nominations Mr Varadkar told the Dail the name of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has been changed to the Department of Public Expenditure National Development Plan Delivery and Reform because “far too many important public capital projects are taking far too long” and a step-change is needed.

The Green Party ministers retained their roles as expected.

Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys retained the social protection portfolio, Fianna Fail’s Norma Foley has retained her education post, and Fianna Fail’s Stephen Donnelly has retained the health ministry.

Fine Gael’s Simon Harris has retained the role of further and higher education minister. He will also take on the role of justice minister until Helen McEntee returns from maternity leave next summer.

Mr Varadkar also announced two super junior minister portfolios for Fianna Fail’s Jack Chambers and Green Party senator Pippa Hackett.

Cabinet members were officially confirmed in office by the president on Saturday evening before the new-look government held its first meeting.