Damien English
Irish politician (born 1978)
2020–2023
Incumbent
May 2007
May 2002 – May 2007
Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
Laura Kenny
(m. 2007)- Dublin Institute of Technology
- Dublin Business School
Damien English (born 21 February 1978) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath West constituency since 2007, and previously from 2002 to 2007 for the Meath constituency. He served as Minister of State from 2014 to 2023.[1]
Early and personal life
English was educated at Bohermeen National School in County Meath, and went on to attend Kells Community School. He further studied and part qualified with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants at the Dublin Institute of Technology and Dublin Business School. He is married to Laura, and they have one son and three daughters.
Political career
English first entered politics when he was elected to Meath County Council in 1999, for the local electoral area of Navan, where he was the youngest council member.
At the 2002 general election, he was elected to the 29th Dáil as a Fine Gael TD for the Meath constituency, along with his Fine Gael colleague John Bruton.[2] He was the youngest TD in the 29th Dáil, aged 24 years.
English was elected secretary of the Fine Gael parliamentary party in September 2002, and became the party deputy Spokesperson for Arts, Sports and Tourism. In October 2004, he was appointed deputy Spokesperson for Justice and Community Affairs, with special responsibility for Drugs, Alcohol and Crime Prevention. He was a member of the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly from 2002 to 2007. He served as deputy Spokesperson on Enterprise with special responsibility for Labour Affairs and Small Business from 2007 to 2010.
In January 2007, English was linked to a statement by fellow Fine Gael TD John Deasy, regarding Deasy's intention to run for the leadership of the party if Enda Kenny failed to bring the party into government following the 2007 general election. English dismissed these claims as being false.[3]
He was party deputy Spokesperson for Finance, with special responsibility for Banking and Credit from October 2010 to March 2011.
On 15 July 2014, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and at the Department of Education and Skills with responsibility for Skills, Research and Innovation.[4]
He served as Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government with responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal from May 2016 to June 2017. He served as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government with responsibility for Housing and Urban Development from June 2017 to June 2020.[5]
In July 2020, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Businesses and Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection with responsibility for Redundancy and Insolvency Operations and Employer Services.[6][7]
Ministerial resignation
In January 2023, news website The Ditch published a story claiming English failed to declare ownership of an existing home in his planning application for a new property in 2008. It also claimed he neglected to declare such ownership in the Dáil register of interests.[8][9] He resigned as Minister of State on 12 January 2023.[10][11]
References
- ^ "Damien English". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
- ^ "Damien English". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
- ^ "Calls for election focus within Fine Gael". RTÉ News. 5 January 2007. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2007.
- ^ "Simon Harris among new Ministers of State". RTÉ News. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- ^ "Revealed: These are the Junior Ministers of the 32nd Dáil - Independent.ie". Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2020 (57): 820–821. 17 June 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 579 of 2020). Signed on 1 December 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 9 December 2020.; Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2021 (S.I. No. 71 of 2021). Signed on 19 January 2021. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 17 March 2021.
- ^ "FG minister lied on successful planning application". The Ditch. 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Fine Gael minister Damien English says he complied with Sipo rules over ownership of residential property". independent.
- ^ Lehane, Mícheál (12 January 2023). "Damien English resigns over 2008 planning application". RTÉ.ie.
- ^ O'Connell, Hugh (12 January 2023). "Fine Gael minister Damien English sends letter of resignation to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar over planning application". Irish Independent. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
External links
- Official website
- Damien English's page on the Fine Gael website
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Baby of the Dáil 2002–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills 2014–2016 | Succeeded by John Halligan |
| Preceded by Seán Sherlock John Perry | Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 2014–2016 With: Ged Nash | Succeeded by Pat Breen John Halligan |
| Preceded by | Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government 2016–2017 With: Catherine Byrne | Succeeded by Himself as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government |
| Preceded by Himself as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government | Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government 2017–2020 With: John Paul Phelan | Succeeded by Peter Burke Malcolm Noonan |
| Preceded by Pat Breen John Halligan | Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment 2020–2023 With: Robert Troy (2020–2022) Dara Calleary (2022–present) | Succeeded by |
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