Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has been nominated as the new Tánaiste.

Leo Varadkar made the announcement in the Dáil this afternoon, two days after Frances Fitzgerald's resignation.

Coveney - a Cork South-Central TD - is already Fine Gael deputy leader, following his unsuccessful leadership bid earlier this year.

Dublin Rathdown TD Josepha Madigan, meanwhile, is set to become the newest member of Cabinet - after being nominated to take over the Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht portfolio.

That portfolio's previous minister - Heather Humphreys - will take over as Business Minister, a role that had also been held by Frances Fitzgerald.

Deputy Fitzgerald resigned on Tuesday after a week of criticism from opposition parties over her handling of an email alluding to the Garda legal strategy against whistleblower Maurice McCabe.