Fine Gael lead popularity contest on social media, with Leo Varadkar the most-followed cabinet TD

FINE Gael has had its ups and downs in the polls but it is winning the Twitter popularity contest, according to a review of Cabinet ministers’ followers.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is the most-followed minister on Twitter and Instagram, boasting over 600,000 followers across both platforms.

In the review of all Cabinet ministers’ profiles by the Irish Independent in the first five months of the year, the Fine Gael leader came out on top when it came down to simple numbers.

Over 450,000 people follow the Taoiseach on Twitter and 202,000 follow him on Instagram.

Indeed, the top three most-followed ministers on Twitter are all members of Fine Gael.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris takes second place with over 235,000 followers on Twitter and almost 170,000 on Instagram. Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney has almost 195,000 followers.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin takes fourth place on the list – the highest placing Fianna Fáil politician – with 187,500 followers.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe come next.

Helen McEntee, the Justice Minister who is returning from maternity leave, has nearly 60,000 followers on Twitter despite not being an active user since the end of last year. Her “comeback” tweet has been viewed over 200,000 times.

All ministers stick close to their brief online, using Twitter to announce funding, meetings and legislation.

However. some do take the opportunity to comment on the opposition.

In April, Minister Harris described one tweet by Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin as “offensive, inappropriate and disrespectful” to gardaí.

Mr Ó Broin, his party’s housing spokesperson, had shared an image created by the artist Spicebag depicting gardaí assisting in a Famine-era eviction.

“Today’s social media post by a leading member of the main opposition party shows what they really think of the gardaí,” Minister Harris said. “The mask slips.”

The Tánaiste shared a video of himself speaking in the Dáil in April. In the video, he accused Sinn Féin of “empty sloganeering and soundbites to win votes” when it comes to housing policy..

School visits, cost-of-living supports and local projects feature on most feeds, with Irish rugby and the visit of US president Joe Biden also earning mentions.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath has also used Twitter to signal his support for Manchester United and local club Carrigaline United.

The shooting of off-duty PSNI officer John Caldwell drawing condemnation from many ministers in late February.

Mr Harris – standing in as Justice Minister while Ms McEntee was on maternity leave – called the shooting “utterly deplorable and completely shocking”.

Mr Varadkar condemned the “grotesque act of attempted murder”.

Mr Martin uses his Twitter time similarly, sharing insights into meetings and responding to breaking-news events like the earthquake in Turkey and evacuation of Irish citizens from Sudan.

The Fianna Fáil leader tweets the most, sending over 240 tweets in the first five months of the year.

Rounding out the top three biggest tweeters in Cabinet is Green Party minister Catherine Martin with over 200 tweets, and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien with over 180 tweets.

Despite being the third most-followed minister, Cork South-Central TD Simon Coveney tweets the least, sending just over 50.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has the lowest follower count of all minsters at just over 12,000.

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