Kildare gets two seats at cabinet table

AFTER the formation of the 35th Irish government last week, Kildare can now boast two ministers in cabinet for the first time ever, with James Lawless in higher education and science and Martin Heydon as the new minister for agriculture. These are first from Kildare ministers since Charlie McCreevy some 21 years ago.

Mr Lawless is a practising barrister from Sallins and one of senior figures in Fianna Fail, whilst Mr Heydon is one of the up-and-coming figures in Fine Gael and runs the family farm just outside Kilcullen.

Both men are coming to the big table with some experience, as both were ministers of state in the last government, with Mr Heydon looking after research and development in the Department of Agriculture, while Mr Lawless served as minister of state for transport and logistics.

James Lawless is the slightly older, born in 1976, with Martin Heydon arriving two years later in 1978.

Both are well placed for their respective positions, with Mr Heydon a graduate of Kildalton Agriculture College in Kilkenny, while Mr Lawless got degrees in mathematics and computer science from Trinity before Micheál Martin made him spokesperson for science and technology in 2016.

Mr Heydon has also been close to the top table for few years now, first selected as chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party in 2016, after being chosen for Kildare South for the first time in 2011.

Mr Lawless was a later starter, not getting into the Dáil until 2016, and both men are former members of Kildare County Council.