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John McGuinness
TD
John McGuinness TD
	McGuinness in 2020
Chair of the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
	In office; 4 April 2016 – 8 November 2024
Preceded by	Ciarán Lynch
Chair of the Public Accounts Committee
	In office; 10 March 2011 – 4 April 2016
Preceded by	Bernard Allen
Succeeded by	Seán Fleming
Minister of State
2007–2009	Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Teachta Dála
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; June 1997
Constituency	Carlow–Kilkenny
Personal details
Born	15 March 1955 (age 69); Kilkenny, Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse	Margaret Redmond (m. 1991)
Children	4
Relatives	Yvonne McGuinness (niece)
Education	Kilkenny Christian Brothers Secondary School
Alma mater	University College Cork
Website	johnmcguinness.ie

John James McGuinness (born 15 March 1955) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since the 1997 general election. He was appointed Chair of the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach in April 2016. He served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee from 2011 to 2016 and as a Minister of State from 2007 to 2009.^[2]

Personal life

McGuinness was born in Kilkenny and educated in Kilkenny Christian Brothers Secondary School. He holds a Diploma in Business Management. He is married to Margaret Redmond and they have three sons and one daughter. His eldest son Andrew is a Fianna Fáil County Councillor on Kilkenny County Council and served as Mayor from 2014 to 2015.

Political career

He first entered local politics in 1979 when he won a seat on Kilkenny Borough Council and was a subsequent mayor of the city from 1996 to 1997.^[3] He was the third generation of his family to serve on this council. From 1991 until the abolition of the dual mandate in 2003, he was also member of Kilkenny County Council, where his father, Michael McGuinness, was the longest-serving councillor (1959–1999).^[4]

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency at the 1997 general election.^[5] He was vice-chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the 29th Dáil and a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committees for European Affairs, Enterprise and Small Business, Justice, and Women's Rights in the 28th Dáil.

In July 2007, he was appointed by the government on the nomination of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for Trade and Commerce.^[6] He was re-appointed by the government on the nomination of Taoiseach Brian Cowen to the same position on 13 May 2008.^[7]^[8] On 22 April 2009, as part of cost-cutting measures due to the Irish financial crisis, the Cowen reduced the number of Ministers of State from 20 to 15. McGuinness was among the seven junior ministers who were not reappointed.

McGuinness then revealed a testy relationship with his senior minister Mary Coughlan, and considerable disagreement with policy in the department.^[9] On 24 April 2009, he criticised Coughlan and Cowen for their lack of leadership being given to the country. He said: "She's not equipped to deal with the complex issues of dealing with enterprise and business within the department. And neither is the department".^[10]^[11] McGuinness later rejected suggestions he campaigned to undermine Coughlan, when it was revealed that he had hired external PR advice in an effort to enhance his own profile as a Minister of State within the department.^[12]

In 2010, a political memoir that he co-wrote with Naoise Nunn, called The House Always Wins, was published by Gill & Macmillan.^[13]^[14]

In the 31st Dáil, McGuinness served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. He was the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Small Business and Regulatory Framework from April 2011 to March 2016.

He declared that he would vote No in the 2015 referendum to allow same-sex marriage.^[15]

In the 32nd Dáil, McGuinness served as Chair of the Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach Committee.

At the 2024 general election, McGuinness was re-elected to the Dáil.

He chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association.^[16]

References

^ Tim Ryan (2020). Nealon's Guide to the 33rd Dáil and 26th Seanad and the 2019 Local and European Elections. Grand Canal Publishing.
^ "John McGuinness". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
^ Nealon's Guide to the 30th Dáil & 23rd Seanad, Ed. Stephen Collins, Dublin, 2007
^ "Glowing tributes paid to deceased stalwart of SEHB and council". The Nationalist. Carlow. 10 April 2003. Archived from the original on 23 June 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2008.
^ "John McGuinness". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
^ Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2007 (S.I. No. 560 of 2007). Signed on 25 July 2007. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 1 September 2021.
^ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2008 (43): 562–563. 16 May 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
^ Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2008 (S.I. No. 290 of 2008). Signed on 15 July 2008. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 12 April 2021.
^ Brennan, Michael (24 April 2009). "Dumped junior minister: we're lacking leaders in Government". Irish Independent. Dublin. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
^ "McGuinness criticises lack of leadership from Cowen and Coughlan". The Irish Times. 25 April 2009. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
^ Sheahan, Fionnan; McDonald, Brian; Guidera, Anita (25 April 2009). "Coughlan embroiled in storm on sackings". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
^ "McGuinness Tánaiste row rumbles on". Sunday Business Post. 3 May 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "The House Always Wins". Gill & Macmillan. 9 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 December 2010.
^ Drennan, John (7 November 2010). "The party's over for FF - even with no election". Sunday Independent. Dublin. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
^ Bardon, Sarah (19 May 2015). "John McGuinness says he will vote No in marriage referendum". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
^ The Formosa Club [@_theformosaclub] (26 August 2021). "Our Co-Chairs & members from @Europarl_EN & 27 nat'l parliaments call on @eucopresident, @vonderleyen, @EP_President & @jensstoltenberg to show solidarity with Lithuania and support its decision to expand ties with Taiwan! Democracies should look after each other!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.