Damien English
Damien English | |
|---|---|
 English in 2015 | |
| Minister of State | |
| 2020–2023 | Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
| 2020–2023 | Social Protection |
| 2017–2020 | Housing, Planning and Local Government |
| 2016–2017 | Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government |
| 2014–2016 | Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation |
| 2014–2016 | Education and Skills |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office May 2007 | |
| Constituency | Meath West |
| In office May 2002–May 2007 | |
| Constituency | Meath |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 February 1978 Drogheda,County Louth,Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse |
Laura Kenny (m.2007) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | damienenglish |
Damien English(born 21 February 1978) is an IrishFine Gaelpolitician who has been aTeachta Dála(TD) for theMeath Westconstituency since 2007, and previously from 2002 to 2007 for theMeathconstituency. He served asMinister of Statefrom 2014 to 2023.[1]
Early and personal life
[edit]English was educated atBohermeenNational School inCounty Meath,and went on to attend Kells Community School. He further studied and part qualified with theChartered Institute of Management Accountantsat theDublin Institute of TechnologyandDublin Business School.He is married to Laura, and they have one son and three daughters.
Political career
[edit]English first entered politics when he was elected toMeath County Councilin1999,for thelocal electoral areaofNavan,where he was the youngest council member.
At the2002 general election,he was elected to the29th Dáilas a Fine GaelTDfor theMeathconstituency, along with his Fine Gael colleagueJohn Bruton.[2]He was the youngest TD in the29th Dáil,aged 24 years.
English was elected secretary of theFine Gaelparliamentary 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 theBritish–Irish Parliamentary Assemblyfrom 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 TDJohn Deasy,regarding Deasy's intention to run for the leadership of the party ifEnda Kennyfailed to bring the party into government following the2007 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 asMinister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovationandat the Department of Education and Skillswith responsibility for Skills, Research and Innovation.[4]
He served asDepartment of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Governmentwith 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 appointedMinister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employmentwith responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Businesses andMinister of State at the Department of Social Protectionwith responsibility for Redundancy and Insolvency Operations and Employer Services.[6][7]
On 18 September 2024, English announced that he would not be contesting thenext general election.[8]
Ministerial resignation
[edit]In January 2023, news websiteThe Ditchpublished 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.[9][10]He resigned as Minister of State on 12 January 2023.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^"Damien English".Oireachtas Members Database.Archivedfrom the original on 12 June 2018.Retrieved13 May2009.
- ^"Damien English".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 11 September 2018.Retrieved13 May2009.
- ^"Calls for election focus within Fine Gael".RTÉ News.5 January 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2012.Retrieved5 January2007.
- ^"Simon Harris among new Ministers of State".RTÉ News.15 July 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 20 July 2014.Retrieved5 August2014.
- ^"Revealed: These are the Junior Ministers of the 32nd Dáil - Independent.ie".Archived fromthe originalon 19 May 2016.Retrieved28 August2016.
- ^"Appointment of Ministers of State"(PDF).Iris Oifigiúil.2020(57): 820–821. 17 June 2020.Archived(PDF)from the original on 15 November 2021.Retrieved11 August2022.
- ^Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 579 of 2020). Signed on 1 December 2020. Statutory Instrument of theGovernment of Ireland.Retrieved fromIrish Statute Bookon 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 theGovernment of Ireland.Retrieved fromIrish Statute Bookon 17 March 2021.
- ^"English announces he will not contest next election".RTÉ News.18 September 2024.Retrieved18 September2024.
- ^"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.Retrieved12 January2023.
External links
[edit]
- 1978 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Dublin Institute of Technology
- Alumni of Dublin Business School
- Fine Gael TDs
- Members of Meath County Council
- Members of the 29th Dáil
- Members of the 30th Dáil
- Members of the 31st Dáil
- Members of the 32nd Dáil
- Ministers of State of the 31st Dáil
- Ministers of State of the 32nd Dáil
- Young Fine Gael
- Members of the 33rd Dáil
- Ministers of State of the 33rd Dáil
- Fine Gael local councillors