Noel DempseyPosition: Minister for Transport and Marine
Age:54
Party:Fianna Fáil
Constituency:Meath West
Political career:First elected to the Dáil in 1987, he has a reputation for being outspoken and is considered to be left-of-centre. He opposed Charles Haughey's leadership and moved into the Albert Reynolds camp in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was chief whip in 1992 and later served in various departments. He was one of the Ministers who negotiated with the Green Party.
Immediate challenges:The carnage on the roads will feature in his new portfolio, while the fact that he retains the marine part of his old portfolio is seen as a vote of confidence in his performance in the last government.
