Enda Kenny was re-elected yesterday despite a tense two-hour delay before the fourth vote for taoiseach when independents withdrew their support.
Seventy days after the general election, Mr Kenny became the first Fine Gael leader to serve a second consecutive term as taoiseach.
The Mayo TD unveiled his new cabinet — promoting two party members known to have leadership ambitions and handing roles to four independent TDs in return for their support.
In a day of drama at Leinster House, the last-minute deal with independents staved off another election. Fine Gael remained locked in negotiations with members of the Independent Alliance long after the Dail convened at noon for a fourth vote for taoiseach.
Nine independents eventually backed Mr Kenny: Michael Lowry, Katherine Zappone, Michael Harty and Denis Naughten, and five members of the Independent Alliance; Shane Ross, Finian McGrath, Kevin “Boxer” Moran, John Halligan and Seán Canney.
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The sixth alliance member, Michael Fitzmaurice, abstained as he was unable to resolve an issue about turf cutting. Noel Grealish and Maureen O’Sullivan, independents who had been engaged in talks until yesterday morning, abstained and Mattie McGrath voted against Mr Kenny.
Fianna Fail also abstained under a deal agreed with Fine Gael. The Labour party, Mr Kenny’s former coalition partners, voted against his nomination.
Mr Kenny, who won by ten votes, said that he was grateful to have been elected and acknowledged that many people were still suffering the impact of the economic downturn.
“The circumstances of today are very different from those of five years ago when Ireland was in deep crisis and when our very survival as an independent country was in doubt,” he said.
“While I contend that we fulfilled our core mandate to move the country back from the edge of an economic cliff, I acknowledge and understand very many people have not felt the benefit of a recovering economy in their daily lives.”
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He then travelled to Aras an Uachtarain, where he was officially appointed by President Michael D Higgins.
On his return he named his cabinet but failed to fulfil his election commitment to have an equal number of male and female ministers.
Frances Fitzgerald will remain justice minister and was appointed tanaiste in a significant boost to her ambition to become the first female leader of Fine Gael.
Her potential leadership rival, Paschal Donohoe, was promoted from the Department of Transport to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Michael Noonan retains his position as finance minister, while his former junior minister, Simon Harris, was appointed health minister. Leo Varadkar was moved from the Department of Health to social protection and Simon Coveney heads up the new Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
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Charlie Flanagan remains as foreign affairs and trade minister, while Heather Humphreys has had her portfolio extended to include rural affairs and regional development along with arts and heritage.
Richard Bruton leaves behind his role as jobs minister for the Department of Education and Skills. Regina Doherty takes over the role of government chief whip from Paul Kehoe, who is the new defence minister.
First time ministerial positions were given to Mary Mitchell O’Connor, who takes over at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and Michael Creed, who was appointed to the Department of Agriculture.
Of the independents, Shane Ross secured the most senior position as transport minister. Katherine Zappone is the new minister for children and Finian McGrath is a so-called super-junior, straddling the departments of justice, social protection and health with special responsibility for disability issues. Denis Naughten was appointed minister for communications, climate change and natural resources.
Micheál Martin said that the new minority coalition marked a decisive shift away from governments with absolute power to control parliament.
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The Fianna Fail leader said that his party’s confidence and supply arrangement would allow the government to achieve and retain office for a defined period, enable it to administer agreed public policy and ensure that funding was provided for such measures.
“The rules of how we all do the people’s business are changing profoundly,” Mr Martin told the Dail.
Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein leader, described the proposed programme for government as a masterclass in waffle and bluster.
“Never was so much negotiated for so long for so little,” he said.