Waterford TD John Cummins appointed as Minister of State by new Government

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris have unveiled their line up of Ministers of State, with first-time Waterford TD John Cummins being appointed to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, a role which he has been spokesman for over the past five years in Seanad Éireann. 

With 11 years of experience in the Waterford City and County Council, this move marks a rapid elevation for the newly elected TD, and places him at the centre of one of the most important Departments for the Government, over the next five years.

Overjoyed at the news, the newly appointed Minister Cummins will have special responsibility for Local Government and Planning within the Department of Housing. 

READ MORE: 'A great cause'- Great turn-out for coffee morning to support Waterford Helping homeless

Commenting on the new role, he said, “There is a huge amount of talent within Fine Gael with twenty-three new TD’s bringing a wealth of new knowledge into the party. I know the Tánaiste will have given a great deal of consideration to these appointments. Naturally, I am honoured to have been chosen for this role and I assured the Tánaiste I will give everything to it.”

Wanting to give gratitude to the people that constantly supported him throughout his journey, Minister Cummins stated, “I really want to thank everyone who has assisted me throughout my political career thus far, in particular my wife Inga, my parents, our amazing team of Fine Gael councillors across the county, my supporters and wider membership of Waterford Fine Gael, all of whom I simply couldn’t have done it without,

"Most importantly, I want to thank the people of Waterford who placed their trust in me during November’s General Election. I hope this appointment demonstrates the value of my election to Dáil Éireann and I look forward to delivering for the people of Waterford," he concluded.