Minister Patrick O’Donovan to temporarily step down from portfolio

Fine Gael Minister Patrick O’Donovan is to temporarily step down from his portfolio, but remain at Cabinet as he recovers from a seizure he suffered last month.

The arrangement will see his Cabinet colleague, Peter Burke, assume O’Donovan’s responsibilities as Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, while the county Limerick TD will be a minister at Cabinet without portfolio.

It is a direct replication of arrangements previously put in place for the then-minister for justice Helen McEntee when she was on two periods of maternity leave during the lifetime of the previous coalition.

O’Donovan, who has epilepsy, returned home last week after a period of hospitalisation, including a spell in intensive care, after he took ill while hosting a meeting of EU communications ministers in Limerick in October.

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A spokesman said on Monday: “Tánaiste Simon Harris has today sought the agreement of the Taoiseach to allow Minister Peter Burke carry out the functions of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport as required during Minister Patrick O’Donovan’s recovery.

During this period Minister O’Donovan will remain a Cabinet Minister without portfolio.”

In a statement released by a Government spokesman, O’Donovan thanked those who have been in touch with him in recent weeks to wish him well in his recovery.

“I am heartened by the support they have offered to me and my family at this time.”

O’Donovan’s illness and the political fallout from preceding events – which saw him endure a tumultuous budget and negative briefings from party colleagues – have caused much intrigue within Government and commentary.

Last week, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris confirmed he had spoken with O’Donovan on the morning of his illness, but declined to be drawn on the details of the call, other than to characterise some of the reporting of its contents as inaccurate.

In his statement, O’Donovan said he wanted to “particularly thank the Tánaiste for his consistent and ongoing support for me and my work, which I look forward to returning to in due course”.

He expressed thanks to Burke for temporarily taking over his duties.

It is not known how long O’Donovan will spend convalescing, although he spent several weeks off during the summer after being hospitalised with a seizure while on official business in Brussels.

Burke’s in-tray will include work on the licence fee for RTÉ and figuring out a path forward on funding for the broadcaster, which was left €20 million short in its 2027 allocation amid budget day wrangling between O’Donovan and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers.

O’Donovan secured an extra €21 million in the run-in to the budget after protesting to Government leaders that he was being forced to leave RTÉ and other organisations short of what they needed, but still did not deliver an agreed sum of €260 million for the broadcaster in 2027.