Harris sworn in as Ireland’s Taoiseach
FINE Gael leader Simon Harris has become Ireland’s youngest Taoiseach.
The 37- year- old’s appointment was confirmed during a ceremony with President Michael D Higgins at his official residence at Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin.
President Higgins signed the Warrant of Appointment and handed the Seal of the Taoiseach and the Seal of Government to Harris.
The ceremony came after the Dail parliament backed his nomination to become the country’s new premier by 88 votes to 69.
Harris, a father- of- two, has become Ireland’s 15th taoiseach after the surprise resignation of Leo Varadkar as Fine Gael leader three weeks ago.
Varadkar formally resigned at Taoiseach at an audience with Higgins on Monday evening, paving the way for Harris’s election yesterday.
The Wicklow TD’s wife Caoimhe and young children Saoirse and Cillian were in the public gallery of the Dail for proceedings, as were his parents Mary and Bart and brother Adam and sister Gemma.
Harris has assumed the lead of the Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Green Party coalition government with less than a year to run before a general election must be called.
Government TDs rose to applaud as the outcome of the vote was announced, and later cheered and hugged Harris as he emerged from the parliament building at Leinster House in central Dublin ahead of his trip to see the president.
Addressing the Dail before the ceremony at the Aras, Harris said he was committed to doing everything he could to honour the trust placed in him. He said he hoped to lead a “partnership government” in a spirit of “unity, collaboration and mutual respect”.
He paid warm tribute to Varadkar for his “incredible service”, highlighting his handling of the Covid- 19 pandemic and the fallout from Brexit.
Harris spoke of his love for his family, describing his wife as his “rock” and promising his children that “being your dad will remain my most important job”.
He pledged to address acute housing shortages in Ireland, describing the crisis as the “greatest societal and economic challenge of our generation”. Harris also reiterated his support for the people of Ukraine and restated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Mary Lou McDonald, leader of main opposition party Sinn Fein, criticised Harris’s record in government as she restated her demand for a general election.
“Another Fine Gael taoiseach is the last thing the people need. We need a change of leadership, we need a change of government,” she said.
“It’s your century- old cosy club, circling the wagons once again to cling to power at all costs,” she said.