17 Ministers of State still do not have any legal powers
Anger is growing among junior ministers, and many of them may not receive the legal powers needed to run their departments prior to the summer recess, which begins in July.
The Government, having appointed 23 Ministers of State, has failed to give almost three-quarters of them any so-called delegated functions, which are the required legal powers.
Ministers of State do not have any powers to legislate, develop or implement proposals until these are granted by their department's minister. Michael Healy-Rae TD pictured outside Leinster House Pic: Leon Farrell / RollingNews.ie
The junior ministers yet to receive the powers include senior Coalition supporters such as Noel Grealish, Marian Harkin, Michael Healy-Rae and Kevin 'Boxer' Moran.
Others include Charlie McConalogue, Hildegarde Naughton, Thomas Byrne, Timmy Dooley, Christopher O'Sullivan, Emer Higgins, Alan Dillon, Niall Collins, Colm Brophy, Niamh Smyth, Kieran O'Donnell, John Cummins and Jerry Buttimer.
The figures were secured by Independent Offaly TD Carol Nolan, who asked all departments 'to confirm that all Ministers of State… have had their ministerial powers delegated to them'. TD Carol Nolan. Pic: Collins
Trouble has already broken out between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over the failure to provide the Minister of State John Cummins, a member of the latter party, with delegated powers to deal with the State's troubled planning process.
However, Ms Nolan's questions revealed that at least 17 of the State's 23 junior ministers do not have the 'delegated functions'.
Deputy Nolan said: 'For all of the focus and political capital Government parties rightly expended on ensuring their own backbenchers had speaking rights, it now seems absurdly ironic that they would demonstrate no such interest in granting anything but 'nodding dog' powers to their own Ministers of State.'
Commenting on the ongoing status of her Regional Independent ministerial colleagues, Ms Nolan noted: 'This is a blatant betrayal of the commitments provided to those Independent ministers who were assured that they would have an active role in not just shaping but implementing policy.'
Ms Nolan added that the 'truth is 'Independent' is still a dirty word for some in Government'.
The absence of powers for these politicians is expected to generate further controversy relating to the substantial rise in pay and emoluments received by the record 23 junior ministers.
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