Humphreys named FG’s second-in-command

SOCIAL Protection Minister Heather Humphreys has been appointed deputy leader of Fine Gael by Simon Harris. She took up the position, which had been held by Simon Coveney, from yesterday.

Ms Humphreys, left, briefly considered a bid for the leadership of the party when Leo Varadkar stood down last month, but, following a meeting with Mr Harris, she endorsed the Wicklow TD to head the party.

Her appointment is widely seen as a reward for her decision not to run for the leadership. Ms Humphreys is a long-time TD and is seen as representing the party’s rural heart.

She said it was ‘a great honour’ to be asked to serve as the party’s deputy leader and to ‘build on the work’ carried out by her predecessor, Mr Coveney, who recently announced that he is stepping down from the Cabinet.

She said: ‘I believe that we have a real opportunity now to reset the dial for Fine Gael and to place a renewed focus on issues that our party and our country really cares about.’

As he prepared yesterday for Fine Gael’s annual Ard Fheis conference in Galway this weekend, Mr Harris said: ‘Having known Heather as a friend and colleague for many years, I know she is a person of enormous ability and integrity and is deeply respected by grassroots members, local councillors and members of the parliamentary party.’

He added: ‘In her various ministerial portfolios, Heather has worked incredibly hard to deliver solutions which have made a tangible difference to people’s lives.’ Mr Harris is expected to become Taoiseach on Tuesday and will make changes in relation to the Fine Gael representatives at Cabinet in the coming days.