Seán Kyne

Senator
Seán Kyne
Deputy leader of the Seanad
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 June 2024
TaoiseachSimon Harris
LeaderLisa Chambers
Preceded byRegina Doherty
Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 June 2024
LeaderSimon Harris
Preceded byRegina Doherty
Senator
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 June 2020
ConstituencyCultural and Educational Panel
In office
20 February 2020 – 29 June 2020
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Minister of State
2018–2020Government Chief Whip
2018–2020Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
2017–2018Rural and Community Development
2016–2018Communications, Climate Action and Environment
2016–2017Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2011 – February 2020
ConstituencyGalway West
Personal details
Born (1975-05-16) 16 May 1975 (age 49)
Moycullen, County Galway, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
Spouse
Avril Horan
​
(m. 2014)​
EducationSt Mary's College, Galway
Alma mater
Websiteseankyne.ie

Seán Kyne (born 16 May 1975) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel since March 2020, and previously from February 2020 to March 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach. He served as a Minister of State from 2016 to 2020, including as Government Chief Whip from 2018 to 2020. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency from 2011 to 2020.[1][2]

Personal life

Kyne is from Moycullen, County Galway. He attended St Mary's College, Galway, then NUI Galway and University College Dublin, studying agricultural science in both (primary degree in Galway and master's degree in Dublin).[3][4]

Politics

At the 2004 local elections, he was elected to Galway County Council for the Connemara local electoral area.[5] He was re-elected to Galway County Council in 2009, having unsuccessfully contested Galway West at the 2007 general election.[5] He was also unsuccessful at the 2007 election to the 23rd Seanad, when he stood for the Agricultural Panel.[5]

His election in Galway West was the last result to be declared at the 2011 general election. Kyne was ahead of Independent candidate Catherine Connolly by a margin of 17 votes. Connolly sought a full recount, which concluded after a total of four days of counting but did not change the outcome.[6] His victory gave Fine Gael two seats in Galway West for the first time since 1982.[6] He was re-elected at the 2016 general election.

On 19 May 2016, he was appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources by the new minority government of Fine Gael and Independents led by Enda Kenny.[7][8] He served until Kenny resigned as Taoiseach on 14 June 2017.

On 20 June 2017, he was appointed as Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development by the minority government led by Leo Varadkar.[9][10] Following a cabinet reshuffle on 11 October 2018, he was appointed by the government as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Gaeilge, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.[11][12]

He lost his seat at the 2020 general election. He was nominated to the Seanad by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, to fill a vacancy caused by the election of Frank Feighan to the Dáil.[13] On 31 March 2020, Kyne was elected to Seanad Éireann at the 2020 election on the Cultural and Educational Panel.[14] He continued to serve as Minister of State until the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020.

On 26 June 2024, Kyne was appointed leader of the Fine Gael Seanad group and as deputy Seanad leader by Taoiseach Simon Harris, following Regina Doherty's election as an MEP.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Seán Kyne". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  2. ^ "Galway West". RTÉ News. Election 2011. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  3. ^ Collins, Stephen (2011). Nealon's Guide to the 31st Dáil and 24th Seanad. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 115. ISBN 9780717150595.
  4. ^ "The Ministers". Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Seán Kyne". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  6. ^ a b Lorna Siggins (2 March 2011). "FG's Kyne wins final seat in Galway". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  7. ^ Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 332 of 2016). Signed on 28 June 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 26 March 2021.
  8. ^ Energy and Natural Resources (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 420 of 2016). Signed on 13 July 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 26 March 2021.
  9. ^ Rural and Community Development (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 432 of 2017). Signed on 3 October 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 30 December 2020.
  10. ^ Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 314 of 2017). Signed on 11 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 20 March 2021.
  11. ^ Statistics (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 473 of 2018). Signed on 12 November 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 20 March 2021.
  12. ^ Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 449 of 2018). Signed on 23 October 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 14 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Taoiseach appoints Sean Kyne to the Seanad". The Irish Times. 19 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  14. ^ "Seanad general election 2020". www.oireachtas.ie. Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Senator Seán Kyne appointed Fine Gael Leader of Seanad by Taoiseach". finegael.ie. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
Political offices
Preceded byas Ministers of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
2016–2017
With: Michael Ring 		Succeeded by
Joe McHugh
as Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Preceded by
Joe McHugh
as Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 		Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
New department Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development
2017–2018
Preceded by Government Chief Whip
2018–2020 		Succeeded by
Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
2018–2020