A LIMERICK City TD has been appointed as a Minister of State in the cabinet shake-up that saw Fine Gael’s Simon Harris made Taoiseach yesterday (Tuesday April 9).
Fine Gael TD and former Minister of State for Housing, Local Government, and Planning Kieran O’Donnell has been moved to the role of Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), a spot left vacant by County Limerick TD Patrick O’Donovan in his recent promotion.
Newcastle West’s Deputy Patrick O’Donovan was given the role of Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science by the newly-appointed Taoiseach.
Limerick’s most-recently appointed junior minister, Deputy O’Donnell was first elected in 2007, and played a large part in the legislation for Limerick’s first-ever directly elected mayor election.
Deputy O’Donnell is the chairperson of he Oireachtas Transport and Communications committee and a member of the Budgetary Oversight Oireachtas Committee.
A qualified chartered accountant, he graduated with a degree in Business Studies from the University of Limerick, and went on to run his own accounting practice.
