Mary HarneyPosition: Minister for Health
Age:54
Party:Progressive Democrats
Constituency:Dublin Mid West
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Political career:Acting leader of the Progressive Democrats. Previous leader of the party between 1993 and September 2006. Retains her position from last government. First elected to the Dáil in 1981 as a TD for Fianna Fáil.
Immediate challenges:Delivering on huge health reform programme, including co-location of private hospitals on public land; delivering a new contract for hospital consultants; dealing with controversy over location of new national children's hospital; and putting in place new rules for paying for long-term care for the elderly.