Simon Coveney, 51, has been at the heart of Irish politics for more than two decades, with half of these years spent partaking in cabinet discussions. The political figure from Cork has proclaimed that he will not be proposing himself for a continued role in the cabinet as the anticipated election of the new Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, as the next taoiseach draws nearer. While maintaining on Tuesday that his zeal for politics remains unwavering, it is yet to be established whether Coveney will opt for re-election to the position he initially clinched in 1998, following his father, the Fine Gael TD Hugh Coveney’s passing. Since then, Coveney has enjoyed re-election each time Ireland held polls.
Hailing from what is often referred to as Cork’s ‘merchant class’, Coveney is a proud father of three and is known to have an affinity for sailing and rugby. His only departure from the Dáil was a three-year period serving as an MEP from 2004 to 2007. He showed support for Richard Bruton in 2010 during the unsuccessful uprising against then party leader, Enda Kenny. Irrespective of this, Coveney was appointed by Kenny to the ministerial cabinet for agriculture in 2011.
Coveney’s capabilities as a minister were put to the test early on in 2013 during the horse meat scandal. Coveney is recognised for his efforts to stabilise the situation that had plunged the industry into crisis. He saw an expansion to his duties in 2014, when he was given the additional defense brief. During his tenure, Naval Service vessels were commissioned to the Mediterranean to aid in the rescue of refugees attempting the perilous crossing into Europe.
As the Fine Gael-led minority government took over in 2016, Coveney was dubbed the minister for housing. Coveney made sweeping promises with his “Rebuilding Ireland” initiative, such as vowing to abolish the habit of accommodating homeless families in hotels and B&Bs by mid-2017, a promise that, disappointingly, was not delivered on.
In 2017, Leo Varadkar emerged victorious in the leadership battle of Fine Gael, defeating an opponent who had the support of a substantial number of local members but couldn’t secure the required backing from TDs and senators – a critical factor in Fine Gael’s leadership election system. Subsequently, Varadkar awarded him with the roles of vice leader of Fine Gael and Foreign Affairs Minister, later expanding his duties to include the Tánaiste position.
His notable achievement includes leading Ireland’s successful campaign to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council, earning widespread recognition for his resolute protection of Ireland’s interests throughout the Brexit process. Despite initiating his role in the coalition with Foreign Affairs, Coveney remained committed to the position.
However, his political career didn’t go without controversy when he faced criticism for his unsuccessful attempt to nominate the former minister, Katherine Zappone, for a special envoy role to the United Nations. Despite this, he managed to regain his political standing and was one of the earliest foreign politicians to pay a visit to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
In the governmental reshuffle of December 2022, Coveney was assigned to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Although the tech sector experienced job cuts during his tenure, Ireland is experiencing what can effectively be described as full employment.
During a Tuesday interview with RTÉ radio, Coveney expressed no regrets about his political career, which started on a somber note in a by-election, calling it “an intriguing and extremely rewarding journey”. However, he remained uncertain about pursuing re-election in Cork’s Couth Central, stating he won’t make a hasty decision.