Joe McHugh (born 16 July 1971) is an Irish former politician who served as chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs from 2020 to 2024. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal constituency 2016 to 2024, and previously from 2007 to 2016 for the Donegal North-East constituency. He served as Minister for Education and Skills from 2018 to 2020 and as a Minister of State from 2014 to 2018, including as Government Chief Whip from 2017 to 2018. He was a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 2002 and 2007.[1]
Joe McHugh | |
|---|---|
 McHugh in 2017 | |
| Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs | |
| In office 15 September 2020 – 8 November 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Healy-Rae |
| Minister for Education and Skills | |
| In office 16 October 2018 – 27 June 2020 | |
| Taoiseach | Leo Varadkar |
| Preceded by | Richard Bruton |
| Succeeded by | Norma Foley |
| Minister of State | |
| 2017–2018 | Government Chief Whip |
| 2017–2018 | Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht |
| 2016–2018 | Taoiseach |
| 2016–2017 | Foreign Affairs and Trade |
| 2014–2016 | Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht |
| 2014–2016 | Communications, Energy and Natural Resources |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 2016 – November 2024 | |
| Constituency | Donegal |
| In office May 2007 – February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Donegal North-East |
| Senator | |
| In office 12 September 2002 – 24 May 2007 | |
| Constituency | Administrative Panel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 July 1971 Carrigart, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Fine Gael (until 2022) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Tom Enright (father-in-law) |
| Alma mater | NUI, Maynooth |
In May 2022, McHugh announced that he would not contest the next general election.[2][3]
Early life
editBorn in Carrigart, County Donegal, in 1971. McHugh was educated at Umlagh National School and the Loreto Convent, Milford. He attended the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, where he received an honours degree in economics and sociology, and a higher diploma in education. McHugh taught geography and mathematics at the Loreto Convent Secondary School, Letterkenny, from 1993 to 1995. From 1995 to 1996, he taught A-level economics in Dubai. In 1996, he returned to Ireland and became a youth worker in the Ballyboe area of Letterkenny.[4]
Political career
editDonegal County Council
editMcHugh won a seat in the Milford local electoral area in the 1999 Donegal County Council election.
Seanad Éireann
editHe was elected to Seanad Éireann as a Senator for the Administrative Panel in 2002, where he served as Fine Gael spokesperson on Community, Rural, Gaeltacht and Marine Affairs. McHugh set up a full-time constituency office in Letterkenny. When he was selected as the Dáil candidate for Donegal North-East, he moved into a new constituency office, which was officially opened by Fine Gael party leader Enda Kenny on 6 October 2006.[citation needed]
Dáil Éireann
editMcHugh topped the poll Donegal North-East at the 2007 general election with 22.6% of the first preference vote.[5] His wife Olwyn Enright also won re-election to the Dáil, making them the third married couple to sit in the same Dáil.[6] McHugh was appointed party deputy Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and the Department of the Taoiseach, with special responsibility for North-South Co-operation in October 2007. McHugh was re-elected to the Dáil at the 2011 general election, attaining 19.3% of the first-preference vote.
In January 2011, McHugh called for a monument, funded by the government, in Donegal, dedicated to the founding of the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1912.[7] McHugh was criticised by Eileen Doherty, a sister of Donegal County Councillor and Provisional IRA member Eddie Fullerton, who was assassinated by loyalists in 1991. Doherty claimed McHugh and other Fine Gael councillors in Donegal had snubbed a number of commemorative events and opposed the building of a monument in Fullerton's memory in Buncrana. Fullerton was the third elected official in the Republic of Ireland to be assassinated.[8]
In Manchester in October 2011, McHugh became the first Fine Gael TD to address delegates from the British Conservative Party. He described it as an "opportunity."[9]
On 15 July 2014, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht with responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources.[10][11][12] His appointment was met with criticism as his knowledge of the Irish language was at a basic level,[13][14] although he subsequently received praise for his efforts to improve his language skills to the point where he could conduct lengthy interviews in the language.[15] RTÉ Radio 1 produced the radio documentary Fine Gaeilgeoir, narrated and produced by Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh, following McHugh's efforts to improve his Irish over the course of a year.[16] Shane Ross later wrote of his fear of having what he described as a "Joe McHugh moment", meaning being a non-Irish speaker to a Gaeltacht ministry.[17]
In February 2016, McHugh was heavily criticised for allocating 93% of Gaeltacht grants to the Donegal Gaeltacht, which is located in and beside his constituency. This revelation led to calls for McHugh to appear before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee to explain such a disproportionate allocation of funding.[18] McHugh subsequently denied the claims.[19]
At the 2016 general election, McHugh was elected to the new five-seater Donegal constituency on the 11th count.[20] The following May, he met Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during their day visit to the county.[21]
He was appointed as Minister for Education and Skills on 16 October 2018.[22] He was not re-appointed to the Government of the 33rd Dáil in June 2020, and declined the offer of appointment as a Minister of State.[23] In September 2020, McHugh became Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs.
In May 2022, McHugh announced that he would not contest the next general election.[2][3] On 6 July 2022, McHugh resigned the Fine Gael party whip in order to vote for an opposition bill regarding the defective block crisis.[24]
Personal life
editIn July 2005, McHugh married Olwyn Enright, who served as a Fine Gael TD for Laois–Offaly from 2002 to 2011. They have three children.[25][26][27]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Joe McHugh". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
- ^ a b "Donegal TD Joe McHugh won't contest next general election". RTÉ News. 4 May 2022. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ a b Hosford, Paul (4 May 2022). "Fine Gael TD and former education minister Joe McHugh won't stand for re-election". Irish Examiner. Cork. ISSN 1393-9564. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ Moore, Jane (4 May 2022). "Former Education Minister Joe McHugh will not stand in next general election". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Joe McHugh". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 20 May 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
- ^ Michael O'Higgins and Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins both served in the 16th Dáil, 17th Dáil and 18th Dáil, and Alexis FitzGerald Jnr and Mary Flaherty both served as members in the 23rd Dáil.
- ^ "Deputy McHugh Leads Campaign to Mark 100th Anniversary of UVF". Donegal Today. 9 January 2012. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ "Sister of Murdered Councillor Writes Open Letter to Fine Gael Over Plans for Commemoration". Donegal Today. 12 January 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
- ^ "Fine Gael TD to address Conservative conference". BBC News. 4 October 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
- ^ Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2015 (S.I. No. 40 of 2015). Signed on 3 February 2015. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 April 2021.
- ^ Energy and Natural Resources (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2014 (S.I. No. 585 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Simon Harris among new Ministers of State". RTÉ News. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- ^ "New Gaeltacht affairs minister Joe McHugh books Irish language course". RTÉ News. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ "Gerry Adams and Enda Kenny's 'as gaeilge' stand off over Joe McHugh's Irish". The Journal. 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ ""An incredible inspiration": Gaeltacht minister Joe McHugh on learning Irish from a New Yorker". The Journal. 30 August 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "Fine Gaeilgeoir". RTÉ. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ Ross, Shane (8 May 2016). "Finally face to face with those who suffered my most fierce criticism". Sunday Independent. Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ "Gaeltacht minister 'should explain' allocation of grants". RTÉ News. 11 February 2016. Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ Siggins, Lorna (8 April 2016). "Joe McHugh defends approving theatre grant against advice". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ Moriarty, Gerry (28 February 2016). "Donegal count: Independent Thomas Pringle takes final seat". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "Prince Charles and Duchess begin Donegal visit". 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Martina (13 October 2018). "Bruton named Minister for Communications, McHugh named Minister for Education". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
- ^ "Joe McHugh turns down junior ministerial role". Irish Examiner. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ McLaughlin, Rachel (6 July 2022). "Joe McHugh resigns party whip as mica scheme passed by Dáil". Donegal Daily. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ Sheahan, Fionnan (3 November 2009). "FG's Olwyn celebrates baby with TD husband". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
- ^ "Fine Gael couple's joy at birth of second child". Irish Independent. 16 December 2010. Archived from the original on 18 November 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
- ^ "Joe McHugh - Fine Gael". Fine Gael. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.