'The honour of my life'

Peter Burke says that being the first Mullingar person to be appointed to a senior cabinet position is a "humbling experience".

The Fine Gael man made history yesterday evening when he was appointed Minister for Enterprise and Trade by Taoiseach Simon Harris.

In a statement released a short time ago, Minister Burke said:

"It was the honour of my life to accept my Seal of Office from our President Michael D Higgins, on being appointed Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

"I want to especially express my heartfelt gratitude to my wife Olivia and family for their unwavering support over the course of my political career, as well as my extremely hard-working staff.

"Serving as a TD for the people of Longford Westmeath since 2016 has been a privilege, and the support I receive from my community has been something I have never have, or will, take for granted. As the first cabinet minister from my hometown of Mullingar, it is a humbling experience.

"I thank our new Taoiseach Simon Harris TD for placing his trust in me.

"I look forward to getting stuck in immediately and playing my part to support our small businesses up and down the country. These businesses are the backbone of our economy.

"Last night above all nights as I approach the second anniversary of my Dad’s passing, I so wish I could have made that call to him. I know he would have been very proud."