Simon Harris, 37, becomes Ireland's youngest Prime Minister: 10 points

Simon Harris, 37, is the youngest PM Ireland has ever had.

Ireland's parliament has elected Simon Harris as the nation's youngest-ever prime minister at 37. Harris steps into the shoes of his predecessor Leo Varadkar, who resigned in a surprise move last move.

Harris's nomination was confirmed by a decisive 88-69 vote on Tuesday, with support stemming from independent lawmakers, as well as coalition partners Fianna Fail and the Green Party. Harris's ascent to power follows his recent election as the leader of the center-right Fine Gael party, succeeding Indian-origin Leo Varadkar in a time of political transition.

"I do accept this nomination to serve as Taoiseach," declared Harris, expressing his commitment to the monumental task ahead. "I commit to doing everything that I can to honour the trust that you have placed in me."

Here are 10-points about Simon Harris:

• Simon Harris was the only candidate to seek the party leadership after Varadkar’s resignation.
• Harris's political career began early, joining Fine Gael's youth branch at just 16 years old.
• Elected as a county councillor at 22 and to parliament at 24, Harris quickly rose through the ranks.
• He was dubbed the "Baby of the Dail" for his youthfulness upon entering parliament in 2011.
• Harris served as health minister in 2016 and higher education minister in 2020.
• As minister for health, he oversaw the vote to overturn its abortion ban and was in charge of Ireland’s initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• He has represented the Wicklow constituency for more than 20 years.
• The new PM is due to announce a reshuffle of his Fine Gael team, which makes up seven of the 18 seats in the cabinet, next week.
• Facing challenges including housing crises and immigration policy, Harris has vowed to tackle issues head-on with planned and sustainable solutions.
• The son of a taxi driver, Harris grew up in the coastal town of Greystones in County Wicklow. He is married and has two children.