Denis Naughten

Denis Naughten TD
Naughten in 2016
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2016
Taoiseach	Enda Kenny
Preceded by	Alex White as Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office February 2016
Constituency	Roscommon–Galway
In office May 2007 – February 2016
Constituency	Roscommon–South Leitrim
In office June 1997 – May 2007
Constituency	Longford–Roscommon
Senator
In office January 1997 – June 1997
Constituency	Agricultural Panel
Personal details
Born	(1973-06-23) 23 June 1973 Drum, Roscommon, Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael (1997–2011) Independent (since 2011)
Spouse	Mary Tiernan
Children	3
Alma mater	University College Dublin, University College Cork
Website	www.denisnaughten.ie

Denis Naughten (born 23 June 1973) is an Irish politician. He is a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Roscommon–Galway constituency. He sits as an independent TD, having lost the Fine Gael parliamentary party whip in July 2011.

Family and early life

Naughten was born in Drum, County Roscommon. He was educated St. Aloysius College, Athlone, University College Dublin and University College Cork where he did a research project in Food Microbiology. His father, Liam Naughten, was also a Fine Gael TD, who served between 1982 and 1989.

Political career

Naughten was elected at a by-election to Seanad Éireann in 1997 to the seat vacant since the death of his father Liam Naughten. At the 1997 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the Longford–Roscommon constituency and was re-elected at the 2002 general election. He was also a member of Roscommon County Council and the Western Health Board from January 1997 to October 2003.

Within his first few weeks in the Dáil he became Fine Gael spokesperson on Youth Affairs, School Transport and Adult Education. Between 2000 and 2001 he served as Opposition spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Although indicating that he might, Naughten declined to stand in the party's leadership election in 2002. He was later appointed spokesperson on Transport. He was party spokesperson on Agriculture from 2004–2007.

He was re-elected at the 2007 general election for the new constituency of Roscommon–South Leitrim. He was party spokesperson on Immigration and Integration from 2007–2010. In June 2010, he supported Richard Bruton's leadership challenge to Enda Kenny. Following Kenny's victory in a motion of confidence, Naughten was not re-appointed to the front bench. In October 2010, he was appointed as party Deputy spokesperson on Health with special responsibility for Primary Care and Disability.

He was re-elected at the 2011 general election. He voted against the government's decision to close the Roscommon County Hospital emergency department on 6 July 2011. He lost the Fine Gael party whip the following day. On 13 September 2013, he and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, described as a "loose alliance" rather than a political party. He was re-elected for Roscommon–Galway at the 2016 general election.

Naughten was appointed as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in Enda Kenny's Fine Gael/Independent minority government after two months of negotiation following the 2016 general election.

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

External links

• Official website