Jack Chambers must show that “he’s confident and on his A-game” if he is to succeed as Finance Minister.

That’s according to Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee, who said his appointment to the “heavyweight department” was a big call from the Tánaiste today.

It’s been a successful few days for Minister Chambers, who was also appointed deputy leader of Fianna Fáil last Wednesday.

But how has the 33-year-old risen through the ranks of politics so fast? Mr McGee said he’s still a “relative newcomer to politics,” but already has quite an impressive CV.

“His dad is a consultant doctor who was originally from Mayo but settled in West Dublin in Castleknock; Jack Chambers grew up there and became very involved in Fianna Fáil as a teenager,” he told The Hard Shoulder.

“Dublin West was always a stronghold for Fianna Fáil in Dublin, and Brian Lenihan was one of the 20 TDs who actually retained a seat in the 2011 election.

“Sadly, he died a few months after being elected, and the subsequent by-election was won by the Labour Party.

“Fianna Fáil didn't have a seat there between 2011 and 2016, so Jack Chambers came essentially from nowhere and won a seat. He was 25 when he was first elected to the Dáil.”

'He's quite bright'

From there, Mr McGee said the new Finance Minister has established a reputation of being a “very hard worker”.

“He's quite bright. He has a degree in medicine and also has a degree in law, even though he has practised in neither,” he said.

“He was promoted to the Chief Whip role in 2020, stayed there through COVID, and has been in Cabinet since.

“He really impressed Micheál Martin with his performance as Chief Whip; he was very effective in terms of his organizational skills.

“He also made good relationships with his counterparts in Fine Gael and the Green Party.”

Micheál Martin and Jack Chambers.

Mr McGee said he also held the role of Minister of State for Sports during this time, a role that assigned various sports grants and allowed him to grow popular among TDs “of every ilk and colour”.

After a reshuffle in 2022, he gained more experience in the Department of Transport where he had responsibility for road safety and implemented a new speed limit and penalty point system.

'Heavyweight department'

Despite the experience, Mr McGee said today’s appointment was a big call.

“It's a very big portfolio and it’s a heavyweight department,” he said.

“He has a critical budget to frame between now and October, in conjunction with Paschal Donohoe, and he doesn't really have the experience in an economic department before.

“I think he will have a very steep learning curve between now and then because when he presents the budget, he is going to have to show that he's confident, that he's on his A-game, and that he is speaking with knowledge and authority.”

Mr McGee added that Finance Ministers of the past have been “exposed” in the role, so Minister Chambers must be sure to “cross all his Ts and dot all his Is”.

You can listen back here:

Main image: Chief Whip Jack Chambers arriving for Cabinet at Dublin Castle in August 2020. Picture by: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie