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Neale Richmond

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Neale Richmond
TD
Richmond in 2017
Minister of State
2024–Finance
2023–2024Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2020
2023–2024Social Protection
ConstituencyDublin Rathdown
Senator
In office
4 April 2016 – 10 February 2020
ConstituencyLabour Panel
Personal details
Born(1983-03-15)15 March 1983(age 41)
Ballinteer,Dublin,Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
SpouseBabs Richmond(m. 2015)
Children2
EducationWesley College
Alma materUniversity College Dublin

Neale Richmond(born 15 March 1983) is an IrishFine Gaelpolitician who has served asMinister of Statesince 2023. He has been aTeachta Dála(TD) for theDublin Rathdownconstituency since the2020 general election.He previously served as aSenatorfor theLabour Panelfrom 2016 to 2020.[1]

Education[edit]

A native ofBallinteer,Richmond was educated at Taney Parish Primary School andWesley College,before graduating fromUniversity College Dublin,with a BA in history in 2004 and an MA in political science in 2005.[2]He lives inStepasidewith his wife and family. He is a member of theChurch of Ireland.[3]

Political career[edit]

While studying in UCD, Richmond was chair of the UCD branch ofYoung Fine Gael.[2]After leaving college, he began working forGay Mitchellin theEuropean Parliament.[4]

He was elected toDún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Councilin2009to represent the Glencullen–Sandyford local electoral area.[5]Richmond was re-elected to the Council in2014on the first count.[6]Following his re-election to the council, he was appointed by theTaoiseachas one of Ireland's nine delegates to theEuropean Committee of the Regions.

From 2011 to 2016, Richmond served as the parliamentary assistant toOlivia Mitchell.After announcing that she would retire at the2016 general election,Mitchell backed Richmond to run in Dublin Rathdown in her place,[7][8]and he was seen as the favourite to be selected for Fine Gael, butJosepha MadiganandAlan Shatterdefeated him in the selection convention.[9]

He was elected toSeanad Éireannin 2016 for theLabour Panel.[10]He was appointed Chair of the Seanad Select Committee on the decision of theUnited Kingdomto leave theEuropean Unionon 23 February 2017.[11]

Following the2020 general election,Richmond was elected toDáil Éireannas a Fine GaelTDfor theDublin Rathdownconstituency, taking the second seat in the three-seat constituency behindCatherine Martinand ahead of party colleagueJosepha Madigan.

On 13 January 2023, Richmond was appointed asMinister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and EmploymentandMinister of State at the Department of Social Protectionfollowing the resignation ofDamien English.[12]

On 10 April 2024, Richmond was appointed asMinister of State at the Department of Financefollowing the appointment ofSimon Harrisas Taoiseach.[13]

Political views[edit]

Richmond is a strong advocate of the European Union and Ireland's interests in it. He is an outspoken critic ofBrexit.He was a columnist atSlugger O'Toole.[14]Richmond has expressed his opposition toIrish neutrality,describing it as "morally degenerate".[15]

He stated his initial disinterest in, but ultimate support for, the issue ofsame-sex marriage.[16]Richmond supported thereferendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.[17]

He has been strongly critical ofSinn Féinand theProvisional IRA.[18]He is in favour of theRepublic of Irelandrejoiningthe Commonwealthin the context of aUnited Ireland.[19]

Richmond wears the Irish branch of theRoyal British Legion's "shamrock remembrance poppy"[20]to commemorate 200,000 Irish soldiers who fought and 35,000 Irish soldiers who died inWorld War I.[21][22]Richmond has stated that he believes theEaster lily"has become offensive".[23]Richmond has attendedJuly 12thcelebrations marking theBattle of the Boyneand has had meetings with the Orange Order, which his grandfather was a member of.[24][25]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Neale Richmond".Oireachtas Members Database.Archivedfrom the original on 6 January 2019.Retrieved23 April2018.
  2. ^ab"Dublin Rathdown TD Criticises UCD Response to Ukraine Crisis".collegetribune.ie.3 March 2022.Retrieved20 October2022.
  3. ^"In defence of grants: Protestant perspectives on schooling".The Irish Times.23 October 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 6 February 2020.Retrieved23 January2020.
  4. ^Spain, Sinead (14 January 2023)."Profile: 'Political natural' Richmond has solid Fine Gael pedigree".RTÉ.
  5. ^"Neale Richmond".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 24 December 2017.Retrieved5 August2019.
  6. ^"Local Elections: 23 May 2014 Glencullen Sandyford".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2018.Retrieved10 November2018.
  7. ^"Olivia Mitchell opts out, leaving Shatter problem for Fine Gael".Independent.ie.31 August 2015.Retrieved11 October2023.
  8. ^Kennedy, Aisling (3 September 2015)."Mitchell to exit but will not leave stage".Dublin Gazette Newspapers - Dublin News, Sport and Lifestyle.Retrieved11 October2023.
  9. ^"Shatter narrowly wins a place on Fine Gael election ticket".Independent.ie.3 October 2015.Retrieved11 October2023.
  10. ^"Seanad Vote Counting Resumes".RTÉ News.28 April 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 22 June 2018.Retrieved27 April2016.
  11. ^"Richmond to Chair Seanad Brexit Committee".Fine Gael Party. November 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 6 June 2017.Retrieved17 May2017.
  12. ^"Neale Richmond to replace English as junior minister".RTÉ News.13 January 2022.Retrieved13 January2023.
  13. ^"Dillon, Higgins and Burke appointed as junior ministers".RTÉ News.10 April 2024.Retrieved10 April2024.
  14. ^"Author Archive - Neale Richmond".Slugger O'Toole.Archivedfrom the original on 16 May 2017.Retrieved17 May2017.
  15. ^"Ukraine: Ireland's military neutrality sparks public debate".BBC News.9 March 2022.Retrieved20 October2022.
  16. ^Richmond, Neale."Opinion: Same-sex marriage will be decided by the silent (possibly disinterested) majority".TheJournal.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 12 September 2018.Retrieved12 September2018.
  17. ^@nealerichmond (18 May 2018)."A quick message for" the lads "with one week to go to polling day #repealthe8th #TogetherForYes #VoteYes"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon 29 May 2018.Retrieved12 September2018– viaTwitter.
  18. ^Richmond, Neale."The Floating Voter: Fine Gael Senator admits he'd rather quit the party than serve with Sinn Fein".Irish Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 12 September 2018.Retrieved12 September2018.
  19. ^"FG's Richmond says a Commonwealth return would represent an olive branch to unionists".Business Post.Retrieved4 October2022.
  20. ^Brophy, Daragh."Leo Varadkar was wearing a 'shamrock poppy' in the Dáil today".TheJournal.ie.Archivedfrom the original on 6 February 2020.Retrieved6 February2020.
  21. ^"Leo Varadkar wears controversial shamrock poppy to honor Ireland's WWI dead".8 November 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 28 October 2020.Retrieved10 February2020.
  22. ^"Irish PM wears 'shamrock poppy'".BBC News.8 November 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2017.Retrieved8 November2017.
  23. ^@nealerichmond (3 November 2017)."@FraserStephen @NoelRock @GerryAdamsSF @PoppyLegion I thought it was an apt response. I find what the Easter Lily h…"(Tweet). Archived fromthe originalon 23 September 2021.Retrieved3 November2017– viaTwitter.
  24. ^"Online sparring and taking on Daniel Kinahan all in a day's work for combative TD".Archived fromthe originalon 4 April 2021.
  25. ^"Cabinet Committees – Wednesday, 2 Feb 2022 – Parliamentary Questions (33rd Dáil) – Houses of the Oireachtas".

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
2023–2024
With:Dara Calleary(2022–present) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State at the Department of Finance
2024–present 		Incumbent
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