Experience The Key For New Cabinet Team

The new team appointed to Ireland's cabinet contained few surprises as Taoiseach Enda Kenny opted for wise old heads in a time of economic turmoil.

Three former party leaders are now in key senior positions, and the cabinet also contains many former ministers and junior ministers from the last time that Fine Gael and Labour were in power together in the 1990s.

Two new Ministries have been created, and several of the Departments have been redrawn to share the responsibilities of others which have been abolished.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, now Tanaiste (deputy prime minister) opted for the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs, which also has the new responsibility of Trade.

Former Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan takes up the key position of Finance Minister, with responsibility for the budget, taxation policy and resolving the banking crisis.

But a second Finance Ministry has been created, to deal with public expenditure and public sector reform, and in surprise move, Brendan Howlin of Labour was assigned the role ahead of his party colleague Joan Burton.

Ms Burton instead takes over as Minister for Social Protection, which covers all social welfare payments and has one of the biggest budgets of any department.

Former Labour leaders Ruairi Quinn and Pat Rabbitte have been given the Departments of Education and Skills; and Communications, Energy and Natural Resources respectively.

As expected, Dr James Reilly has been put in charge of Health, with a promise of radical reform.

The Department of Defense has been subsumed into the Department of Justice and Equality, with Alan Shatter taking the portfolio.

The only FG woman appointed to cabinet was Frances Fitzgerald, who will be the newly-created Minister for Children.

A referendum on children's rights is due to be held shortly, and the safe passage of this new law will be her top priority.

Up and coming Fine Gael stars were rewarded too, with Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney both getting senior ministries despite strongly opposing Enda Kenny's leadership in a heave last summer.

But there were rewards too for those who supported Kenny in that heave, with positions for Phil Hogan, Jimmy Deenihan and Paul Kehoe, who is the new Government Chief Whip.

The man who ran against Enda - Richard Bruton - was appointed Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation.

Inevitably, there were others who had been hotly tipped for promotion, who were to be disappointed.

But Roisin Shorthall, Brian Hayes, Fergus O'Dowd, Sean Sherlock, Jan O'Sullivan and Michael Ring were all rewarded 24 hours later with junior ministries.

No-one can really argue with the talent of those who were selected, nor their entitlement to a chance at their offices, after over a decade in opposition.

But the make-up of the new cabinet, when taken as a whole, has raised a few eyebrows.

It contains just two women out of 15 posts, and the average age is 55.

But one appointment did make history and break a glass ceiling of sorts.

Maire Whelan, a Labour party supporter, has been appointed as the first ever female Attorney General in the history of the State.

She currently works in the courts as a senior barrister, but now becomes the government's top legal advisor.