Ministers of State of the 30th Dáil Government of Ireland was formed following the resignation of Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach on 6 May 2008 and the subsequent appointment of Brian Cowen as Taoiseach on 7 May 2008. Ministers of State of the 30th Dáil On 14 June 2007, the 27th Government of Ireland was elected by Dáil Éireann following nomination by the Taoiseach, and then appointed by the President. The Fianna Fáil–Green Party–Progressive Democrats coalition was led by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. On that day Ahern announced to the Dáil that he had re-appointed Tom Kitt, TD to the post of Minister for State at the Department
Elections in the Republic of Ireland establishes a lower maximum of five years. Elections are by single transferable vote (STV), with each constituency returning between three and five deputies, each called a "Teachta Dála" or TD. Since 1981, constituencies have been redrawn by an independent Constituency Commission after each census. Elections to the European Parliament are held simultaneously across Europe every five years. In Ireland, as for Dáil elections, STV is used in constituencies returning three to five members. Local elections are held on the same day as European elections. Local electoral areas (LEAs) return between six and ten councillors by STV. Until the Local Government