Simon Coveney, the Enterprise Minister, experiences another setback as one of his key advisors, Chris Donoghue, shifts allegiance to join Simon Harris’s team. This comes in the wake of Coveney losing his Fine Gael deputy leader position to Harris shortly after Harris took over as party leader from Leo Varadkar. The move further fuels speculation about Coveney’s future within the cabinet, where he has served for 13 years. Donoghue, a former Newstalk presenter, has been Coveney’s spokesperson since 2017, playing a crucial role in various government initiatives, including Brexit strategy and pandemic response. However, his tenure wasn’t without controversies, notably the Merrion-gate incident and remarks about former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Donoghue’s decision to switch sides underscores the shifting dynamics within Fine Gael as Harris prepares to assume the role of Taoiseach on April 9th.
