Hildegarde Naughton
TD
Naughton in 2016
Government Chief Whip
Assumed office
17 December 2022
TaoiseachLeo Varadkar
Preceded byJack Chambers
Minister of State
2022–Health
2021Justice
2020–2022Environment, Climate and Communications
2020–2022Transport
Chair of the Committee on Communications, Climate Action and the Environment
In office
4 April 2016 – 27 June 2020
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byBrian Leddin
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyGalway West
Senator
In office
19 July 2013 – 26 February 2016
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born (1977-05-01) 1 May 1977
Galway, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
Alma mater
Websitehildegarde.ie

Hildegarde Naughton (born 1 May 1977) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Health since December 2022, and as a Minister of State attending cabinet since June 2020. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since 2016. She previously served as Chair of the Committee on Communications, Climate Action and the Environment from 2016 to 2020 and Mayor of Galway from 2011 to 2012. She also served as a Senator from 2013 to 2016, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.[1]

Personal life

Naughton was born in Galway in 1977, she is from Oranmore. Her father was a member of the Fine Gael National Executive.[2] She was teacher at St. Patrick's Boys School in Galway.[3] She is a classically trained soprano, and in 2008 won the Association of Irish Musical Societies' Best Actress award for her role as Eliza Doolittle in the Galway Patrician Musical Society's production of My Fair Lady.[3] She speaks fluent French. She was co-ordinator of the 2007 Telethon People in Need Campaign for Galway City and County, which raised over €300,000 for local charities.

Shortly after her appointment as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs, Naughton told the media she had smoked cannabis in her 20s.[4]

Political career

Naughton surprised many by unseating party colleague John Mulholland at the 2009 local election in the Galway City West local electoral area (Salthill-Claddagh-Knocknacarra).[2][5] John Cunningham suggested that personal networking, effective postering, and the endorsement of Maureen Egan aided her victory.[2] After her election, she was a director on Galway City Partnership Board and a member of Galway City Council's Transport Strategic Policy Committee and the Galway City Vocational Education Committee.

Naughton ran unsuccessfully for the Dáil at the 2011 general election in Galway West.[5] During the campaign in January, she alleged that councillors had been "doing the bidding" of a "hidden elite" for 20 years.[6] In June, she was Fine Gael's choice for Mayor of Galway for 2011–12, part of a pact rotating the post between Fine Gael, Labour Party, and some Independent members.[6][7] Her nomination was in doubt after Councillors objected to her allegation the previous January.[6] She unreservedly withdrew the comments before the mayoral vote was taken.[8]

She caused controversy when she used her casting vote as Mayor to deny David Norris the right to address Galway City Council during his campaign to get a nomination for the 2011 presidential election. She later claimed it was a "misunderstanding".[9]

At the 2011 general election, Naughton was one of four Fine Gael candidates for the five seats in Galway West; Seán Kyne and Brian Walsh were elected, while Naughton and Fidelma Healy Eames were unsuccessful. In July 2013, Walsh was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party for voting against the party whip on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013. Healy Eames was expelled a week after Walsh for opposing the same bill in the Seanad.[10] On 19 July, Naughton was appointed to the Seanad by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.[11][12][7][13] Walsh was readmitted into the Fine Gael parliamentary party in 2014, but due to health reasons, he stood down before the general election.[14][15]

At the 2016 general election, Naughton was elected to the Dáil alongside her party colleague Seán Kyne. In October 2019, she was appointed to the chair of the Dáil committee investigating ethics complaints about members who voted on behalf of colleagues. She was later forced to resign after it came to light that she had done the same on several occasions. Voting on behalf of colleagues in the Dáil was not permitted.[16] At the 2020 general election, Naughton was re-elected to the Dáil, as the sole Fine Gael TD in the five-seat constituency.

In 2020, at the formation of the 32nd Government of Ireland, Naughton was appointed as one of three Ministers of State attending cabinet.[17][18][19] She was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics and Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for Postal Policy and Eircodes.[20][21] From 27 April to 1 November 2021, Naughton was assigned additional responsibilities as Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for criminal justice during the maternity leave of Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.[22][23][24]

In December 2022, she was appointed as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy following the appointment of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Hildegarde Naughton". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Cunningham, John (2 December 2009). "'Mull' ponders on what might have been after 24 years in local politics". Connacht Tribune. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Twin triumph for Patrician Musical Society". Galway Independent. 18 June 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Fine Gael Drugs Minister Hildegarde Naughton says she smoked cannabis in her 20s in Ireland". independent. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Hildegarde Naughton". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "Fine Gael councillor elected mayor of Galway after pact". The Irish Times. 30 June 2011. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Kenny nominates Hildegarde Naughton to Seanad". RTÉ News. 19 July 2013. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "NEW MAYOR WANTS MORE ACHIEVABLE VISION OF CITY". GalwayNews.ie. Galway Bay FM. 30 June 2011. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Galway Mayor says Norris vote was a 'mistake'". RTÉ News. 11 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Seanad passes abortion legislation second stage". RTÉ News. 16 July 2013. Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Nomination of Member – Seanad Éireann (24th Seanad) – Monday, 22 July 2013". Houses of the Oireachtas. 22 July 2013. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Andrews, Kernan (4 July 2013). "Walsh demotion opens way for Naughton". Galway Advertiser. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  13. ↑ Shanahan, Fionnan (19 July 2013). "Kenny appoints new Senator from Galway in wake of abortion defection". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Walsh readmitted to Fine Gael after losing whip". RTÉ News. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Fine Gael TD Brian Walsh resigns from Dáil over health concerns". Irish Examiner. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  16. ↑ O'Connell, Hugh. "Votegate inquiry in turmoil after chair Hildegarde Naughton forced to stand aside". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2020 (54): 778–779. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  18. ↑ "Appointment of Ministers and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 7 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Oireachtas (Allowances) (Members and Holders of Parliamentary and Certain Ministerial Offices) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 613 of 2020). Signed on 8 December 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 29 December 2020.
  20. ↑ Transport (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 759 of 2020). Signed on 22 December 2020. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 17 March 2021.
  21. ↑ "Government Ministers". Government of Ireland. 22 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  22. ↑ "Statement by An Taoiseach – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil) – Thursday, 11 March 2021". Oireachtas. 11 March 2021. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  23. ↑ "Statement by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee". Department of Justice. 11 March 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  24. ↑ Justice (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2021 (S.I. No. 252 of 2021). Signed on 18 May 2021. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 27 May 2021.
  25. ↑ "Minister of State appointments". gov.ie. Department of the Taoiseach. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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