The Taoiseach has given the Jobs Minister a vote of confidence following reports her Fine Gael party colleagues have been criticizing her behind her back.

Enda Kenny said he has “every confidence” in Mary Mitchell O’Connor adding that it can take time for a minister to get acquainted with a new department.

An Irish Times article published last week quoted some of Minister O’Connor’s party colleagues anonymously saying she is “not up to the job.”

Mr Kenny joined the Jobs Minister at an event this afternoon announcing 60 new jobs in the Dublin office of global connectivity platform provider, Cubic Telecom.

He said Minister O’Connor has been involving herself with small and medium enterprises right around the country:

The new jobs announcement will see Irish owned Cubic Telecom growing its Dublin workforce from 80 to 140 people over the next year.

Minister O’Connor said the announcement is “very welcome.”

“Ireland is fast becoming an international leader in business and a world-class innovator in some of the technology sector’s most exciting and disruptive new fields,” she said.