Agenda: Simon Harris slated to become Taoiseach
10.30am – Speaker of the House requests Taoiseach’s declaration
Presenters and supporters each have 5 mins
Opposition discussions span 10 mins each
Around 12.25pm: Balloting
(Suspension in Dáil – Harris proceeds to Áras)
5pm today’s Taoiseach declamation, critiques by opposition
About 6.30pm. Polling for Government Members
(Dáil wraps up – Officials, including incumbents, progress to Áras)
(Inaugural cabinet assembly conventionally at Áras)
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Be prepared for a noteworthy day in the Irish political sphere. Fingers crossed, Simon Harris will be named Taoiseach by midday, and with this title, he will embark on the selection of his cabinet. He is tasked with appointing at least a couple of high-ranking officials – possibly even more. The developments of the day will unfold this image. You are with me, Conor Pope, and I’ll be live-streaming the updates as they occur, aided significantly by our political unit who will share any and all newsworthy updates with me as they receive them. Please stay tuned.
The day’s events?
Today will see a well-rehearsed routine in the national parliament, which has seen 15 similar occasions in the nation’s history, as mentioned by Harry McGee. Any other Dáil affairs will be paused, as the appointment of a new Taoiseach takes the helm.
The day’s procedure commences at 10.30am, with Heather Humphreys, the deputy leader of Fine Gael, nominating Simon Harris for this esteemed position, seconded by TD Peter Burke of Longford-Westmeath.
Sinn Féin will put forward Mary Lou McDonald as a nominee, nonetheless, it will be nothing more than a token gesture. The ruling parties can look forward to having a significant advantage, thanks to the alliance of seven Independent TDs, and others who prefer to stay neutral. We should have the sixteenth Taoiseach before high noon.
The new Taoiseach will emerge from Leinster House’s main entrance around 1 pm, joined by personal security officers and parliamentary ushers. A sea of Senators, TDs, followers, and councillors, primarily from Fine Gael and Wicklow, will rally and cheer him on. A government vehicle is arranged to drive him the 6km to Phoenix Park, where President Michael D Higgins will grant him his official seal of office, announcing his official entry into the Taoiseach’s role.
Harris, being only 37 years old, will take the mantle as the 16th and youngest Taoiseach in Ireland’s one hundred-year history. Importantly, he is unique for being the third person to take on this role within a single Dáil term. It might be that he could earn few other lesser apparent records, especially the shortest tenure in office. John Bruton, Micheál Martin, and Albert Reynolds all retained the office for around two and a half years. Harris, if not re-elected, could have a term ranging from six to eleven months.
After receiving the official seal, Harris is scheduled to head back to Leinster House, sparking a wave of interest for the rest of the afternoon. Over the course of the day, the public will gradually learn the identity of the two newly appointed ministers.
Harris will individually call the TDs to his office in the government buildings. He’ll be the bearer of both welcome and less than ideal news. The two vacant cabinet seats are being contested by Peter Burke, Hildegarde Naughton, Patrick O’Donovan, and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Current talk suggests that Neale Richmond is likely to be chosen as Minister of State for European Affairs, a role that is expected to wield greater influence.