New finance minister Simon Harris has rejected suggestions that he will not be able to say no to Fine Gael ministers’ budget requests. Mr Harris appointed himself as finance minister following Paschal Donohoe’s decision to depart politics in November to take a job with the World Bank in Washington DC. Despite dubbing himself “Sensible Simon”, some have questioned whether Mr Harris will be able to say no to Fine Gael ministers as easily as Mr Donohoe was, noting that being party leader adds an added layer of complexity. Mr Harris denied this, arguing he is “captain of the team” and it is his “job to put people in roles that I think they are best served for”. Following criticism of the absence of a tax package in Budget 2026, Mr Harris said he believes the Government will be able to introduce one as part of the next budget.

Source: Irish Examiner December 29, 2025 01:03 UTC