Simon Harris is the new Minister for Health, it has been confirmed.

His predecessor, Leo Varadkar, is now the Minister for Social Protection.

The Ministers of the 32nd Dáil have finally been announced after 10 weeks of negotiations. Enda Kenny remains as Taoiseach, while Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, takes over from Labour's Joan Burton as Tánaiste.

Prior to his new post, Simon Harris, who is a Fine Gael TD for Wicklow and east Carlow, was Minister of State at the Departments of Finance and the Taoiseach, with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), public procurement and international banking.

A known campaigner for autism services, previous health-related roles he has held include co-chair of the Fine Gael Working Group on Autism.

Mr Harris is just 29 and was the youngest TD in the Dáil when he was first elected there in 2011. He was re-elected in February and now takes on arguably one of the most difficult portfolios in Government.

The Department of Health is considered a poisoned chalice by some and was even nicknamed ‘Angola' by former Minister for Health and Taoiseach, Brian Cowen.