Ms Coughlan will remain as Tánaiste, while the Department of Education and Science will be renamed the Department of Education and Skills.

ASTI General Secretary John White welcomed Ms Coughlan's appointment as Minister for Education and Skills.

Education plays a pivotal role in economic and social progress, Mr White said, and he looks forward to meeting the new Minister to discuss the importance of second-level education at this time.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) welcomed the new education minister and urged her to ensure in her new role that the Student Support Bill is processed as a matter of urgency.

USI President, Peter Mannion, said:

“We welcome the new education minister, but urge her to work closely with the USI to solve the problems associated with the meltdown in the student maintenance grant system.

"If the Student Support Bill is not implemented swiftly, Minister Coughlan will face serious issues from next August, when more students will be applying for the maintenance grant, putting even more pressure on the system.

"USI looks forward to meeting with the minister in due course to discuss the issues surrounding student grants and working closely with her during her tenure as Minister for Education.

"It is critical that the issues affecting the students of Ireland are not put on the backburner during this transitional period brought about by the reshuffling of the Cabinet. 

"The Student Support Bill has been continuously sidelined as a result of previous Cabinet changes.

"Since the publishing of the bill in 2008, there have already been two education ministers, who both failed to implement it. As a result, thousands of students were left without grant payments due to enormous delays in the processing of grant applications this year.  

"USI believes that the introduction of the Student Support Bill is essential in streamlining the inefficient grant application process."