The Government has confirmed that Patrick O’Donovan was consulted about his Ministerial portfolio being temporarily transferred to his Ministerial colleague Peter Burke.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday evening it has also indicated that O’Donovan did not have a veto over the choice of replacement.

Burke will take on the functions of Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport on a temporary basis during O’Donovan’s recovery from illness. O’Donovan took ill in October during an informal European Union meeting in Limerick and was in hospital until his discharge last weekend.

“While Minister O’Donovan was consulted in relation to the reassignment of his role, the reassignment of ministerial functions was a decision of the Taoiseach [Micheál Martin] following a request from the Tánaiste [Simon Harris] whose prerogative it was to assign the functions to Minister Burke,” the statement read.

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It was also confirmed that the Taoiseach informed the Tánaiste of the initiative for a new body that will explore “constitutional futures” for the island of Ireland before he disclosed it in an interview with The Irish Times.

Asked at Tuesday’s Cabinet briefing, spokespeople for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in Government said both party leaders had discussed the initative before it was made public.

The new body is to be tasked with scoping out the models and challenges for different potential “constitutional futures” for the island, including a 32-county united Ireland, the Taoiseach has said.

Research will explore the possibility of unity, but also other potential outcomes, including a continuation of the link between Britain and Northern Ireland.

At the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Cork this weekend Harris is expected to publish the party’s blueprint for achieving a unified island. The party has been working on the policy for several months.

Harris has said that the publication would define what a united Ireland would mean and look like in practical terms. That would mean an examination of finances, the economy, the society as well as public services.