Niall Collins named junior justice minister

Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins has been appointed Minister of State in the Department of Justice. 

The Limerick County deputy will have special responsibility for international law, law reform, and youth justice. 

Jim O’Callaghan was named as Minister for Justice last week.

Minister Collins’ statutory functions will relate to: 

• Betting Acts 1931 to 2015,
• Firearms Acts 1925 to 2009,
• Part III of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 (No. 12 of 1990), and
• Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 to 2019. 

According to the department, he will also have day-to-day responsibility for: 

• Managing the legislative programme to transpose EU measures and providing political oversight of the management of infringement proceedings,
• The reform of licensing and regulation of gambling – including the establishment of a new independent gambling regulatory authority,
• The development of a youth-justice strategy in conjunction with the Minister for Justice,
• Establishing and chairing an expert forum on anti-social behaviour,
• Matters relating to the work of the National Rural Safety Forum. 

The Government formally appointed 19 Ministers of State yesterday (29 January).  

‘Back door’ 

It had previously named four ‘super-junior’ ministers, who will attend Cabinet meetings.  

Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly has been granted leave by the High Court to proceed with a challenge to the appointment of the four ‘super-juniors’. 

The Sinn Féin TD has accused the Government of increasing the Cabinet to 19 “by the back door”, adding that the Constitution limits the number to 15. 

“The case will be back in court next Tuesday and I hope that there will be a full hearing as quickly as possible and that there is legal clarity on the matter once and for all,” Deputy Daly said in a statement.