Minister for Finance Simon Harris has a hefty in-tray on his new desk. Most importantly, the job needs a serious minister who is focused on the work at hand, and not necessarily the day’s headlines. In essence, the department announced that Harris had spoken to the people he would have been expected to speak to on his first day. Harris has, if not big shoes to fill, then at least a man to follow in Paschal Donohoe who was clearly respected in finance ministries around Europe as someone who was on top of his brief and well-liked internationally. And unlike some ministries, making a gaffe in public can have significant, and immediate, consequences when in Finance.

Source: The Irish Times November 22, 2025 15:00 UTC