Constituency Waterford Name John Deasy Website www.johndeasytd.com Parents Austin Deasy | Nationality Irish Role Teachta Dala | |
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Office Member of Dail Eireann since 2002 Education University College Cork, Mercyhurst University | ||
Waterford td john deasy on today with sean o rourke
John Deasy (born 8 October 1967) is an Irish Fine Gael politician and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Waterford constituency, upon being elected at the 2002 general election.
Contents
- Waterford td john deasy on today with sean o rourke
- Early and personal life
- Political career
- References
Early and personal life
Deasy was brought up in Stradbally and Dungarvan, County Waterford. He was educated at Coláiste na Rinne, An Rinn, County Waterford, and at St. Augustine's College in Dungarvan. Deasy studied at Mercyhurst College, Erie, Pennsylvania, on a golfing scholarship where he received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications.
In 1990, Deasy was employed as a legislative assistant in the United States Senate, handling trade and foreign affairs for Republican Senator John Heinz until Heinz's death in 1991. The following year he became manager of public affairs for a multinational waste company. Deasy was also legislative assistant in the United States House of Representatives, handling trade, foreign affairs, energy, environment, banking, economic development, immigration and human rights for Representative, Ronald Machtley.
He returned to the Ireland in 1997, and studied at University College Cork, qualifying with a degree in law. In May 2005, Deasy married the RTÉ presenter, Maura Derrane. The couple have a son, Cal, born in 2014.
Political career
In 1999 he embarked on a political career and was elected to Waterford County Council and Dungarvan Town Council. At the 2002 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the first time, succeeding his father, former Minister for Agriculture Austin Deasy who was retiring. He was appointed spokesperson for Justice, Equality and Law Reform by the new leader, Enda Kenny. He was sacked from the Fine Gael front bench in 2004 for smoking tobacco in the members bar at Leinster House, the seat of the Irish parliament, just days after a nationwide ban on smoking in the workplace had come into effect. In October 2004 he failed to return to the front bench in the reshuffle, but was appointed Chairman of the Dáil European Affairs Committee.
In January 2007 he announced his intention to challenge Enda Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael should the party fail to enter government after the 2007 general election. Fine Gael did not enter government, nor did Deasy carry out his challenge. He served as party Deputy spokesperson on Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for Overseas Development Aid from 2007 to 2010. Having topped the poll in Waterford at the 2011 general election, he was vice-chair of the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts.. He was re-elected at the 2016 general election. In July 2017,he was appointed a government envoy to US Congress to work with the undocumented Irish living in the US.