Cabinet minister Jack Chambers has announced on social media that he is gay.
The Fianna Fail TD said he has often found it difficult to talk about his personal life but said it was important to be true to himself.
In a post on Instagram, Mr Chambers wrote: “As I look forward to 2024, I am sharing with you something a little different but it’s something I wanted to do for a while.
“As a politician it can sometimes be difficult to speak about my own personal life and that can lead to things drifting.
“However, it’s important for me to be true to myself firstly – and to you all in my public service role.
“I am starting 2024 by telling you all that I am proud to say that I am gay.”
Mr Chambers said he had the confidence and courage to share the information publicly after being given love and support from close family and friends.
The Minister of State at the Department of Transport said he was fortunate that Ireland is a country that has “made many strides in recent years”.
He said Ireland has become a much more inclusive and equal society to the extent that “sharing of this information is becoming increasingly unremarkable”.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who announced he was gay in 2015 – the first time a serving minister did so, congratulated Mr Chambers on his announcement.
In a reply to the Instagram post, Mr Varadkar said: “You’ll have no regrets and life is going to get so much better for you.”
