Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens will appoint 20 ministers of state, known as junior ministers, if the coalition deal is ratified by their parties. Mr Ahern appointed 20 junior ministers to his government in 2007 but the numbers were reduced by his successor Brian Cowen from 20 to 15 as part of cost-cutting measures during the financial crisis in 2009. Appointing 20 junior ministers is the upper limit allowed under legislation passed by Mr Ahern in 2007. The 20 will be inclusive, however, of the government chief whip and the two so-called “super junior” ministers of state who sit at the Cabinet table. Suspicions were aroused in Fine Gael after the leaflet – which, among other things, argues for a second election – was posted to constituency delegates and others who have a vote, sparking fears that someone had access to internal Fine Gael records.

Source: The Irish Times June 18, 2020 23:18 UTC