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Revision as of 22:12, 26 March 2007 by 194.46.200.41 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Senator Joe McHugh | |
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| Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Community, Rural, Gaeltacht and Marine Affairs | |
| In office 6 June, 2002 – present | |
| Constituency | Donegal North East |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 16 1971 Carigart, Co. Donegal |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | |
| Spouse(s) | Olwyn Enright, TD |
Joe McHugh (born July 16 1971) is an Irish politician and member of the 22nd Seanad Éireann for Fine Gael. He is spokesperson on Community, Rural, Gaeltacht and Marine Affairs. He was elected by the Administrative Panel in 2002. In July 2005, McHugh married Deputy Olwyn Enright. On the 5th March 2006, he was selected as Fine Gael's candidate for Donegal North East in the upcoming general election, when the other candidate Cllr Jimmy Harte decided not to attend following the party's decision to pursue a single-candidate strategy.
Background
Born in Carigart, Co. Donegal in 1971, Joe McHugh was educated at Umlagh National School and the Loreto Convent, Milford. He attended St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he received an economics and sociology degree. A keen sportsman, he was a member of the Carigart Boxing Club, played socccer in the Donegal League with Cranford and Bonagee United, and was aslo a Gaelic footballer.
Joe McHugh began his career as a teacher in the Loreto Convent in Letterkenny. He taught Geography and Mathematics for two years from 1993. In 1995 he went to Dubai for a year teaching A-level economics, where he helped to establish the first GAA club in the United Arab Emirates. In 1996 he became a youth worker in the Ballyboe area of Letterkenny.
Political Career
Joe McHugh was selected by Fine Gael to run for a Donegal County Council seat in the Milford Electoral area and was elected on 11th June 1999. In 2001, he introduced a motion to Donegal County Council to establish a youth council for the county. This led to the formation of the Donegal Youth Council, the first democratically elected youth forum in Ireland. He has also worked closely with Young Fine Gael, and helped to establish the first branch in the county in March 2004.
While a member of the council, he was appointed Chairman of the cross-border body ERNACT, where he made the provision of broadband in border areas a priority.
Since being elected to the Seanad, he has set up a full-time constituency office in Letterkenny. After being selected as Fine Gael's candidate for the Dáil, he moved into new premises which were officially opened by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny on 6th October 2006. Deputy Kenny stated that the offices were "the biggest office of any Fine Gael deputy or senator around the country."
Senator McHugh has been vocal in his demands for the upgrading of health services in Donegal, stressing the importance of upgrading cancer care services.
The Coming General Election
Following the absorption of Independent Fianna Fáil and its sole deputy, Niall Blaney into Fianna Fáil in July 2006 and the immediate U-turn by Jim McDaid in announcing his intentions to seek a nomination after having declared that "politics has lost its challenge", McHugh faces an interesting contest in Donegal North East in the next general election.
External links
- Donegal Matters: Joe McHugh's community website for Donegal
- Fine Gael's Website for Senator Joe McHugh