Before proceeding to Leaders' Questions, I wish to bring an announcement to the attention of the House regarding ministerial and Minister of State appointments. I wish to announce for the information of the Dáil that having informed the President that Dáil Éireann had approved my nomination of Deputy Pat Carey and Deputy Tony Killeen to be Members of the Government, the Presidential Commission on 23 March 2010 appointed them accordingly. Second, that on the same day I assigned responsibility for the Department of Education and Science to the Tánaiste, Deputy Mary Coughlan, the Department of Social and Family Affairs to Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism to Deputy Mary Hanafin, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to Deputy Pat Carey and the Department of Defence to Deputy Tony Killeen. Third, that on my nomination, the Government last night appointed the following to be Ministers of State and agreed other changes in the allocation of responsibilities to existing Ministers of State — Deputy John Curran to be Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip, Deputy Dara Calleary to be Minister of State at the Departments of Taoiseach, Finance and Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibilities for public service transformation and labour affairs, Deputy Ciarán Cuffe to be Minister of State at the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Transport and Environment, Heritage and Local Government with special responsibility for horticulture, sustainable travel, planning and heritage, Deputy Seán Connick to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with special responsibility for fisheries and forestry and Deputy Mary White to be Minister of State at the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Education and Science with special responsibility for equality, human rights and integration, and Deputy John Moloney will continue as Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Science, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Justice, Equality and Law Reform with special responsibility for disability issues and mental heath. I propose to nominate to the Government Deputies Cuffe, White and Connick to be Ministers of State.
