{{Short description|Irish former politician (born 1978)}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=September 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Damien English 2015.jpg | caption = English in 2015 | office = Minister of State | suboffice = Enterprise, Trade and Employment | subterm = 2020–2023 | suboffice1 = Social Protection | subterm1 = 2020–2023 | suboffice2 = Housing, Planning and Local Government | subterm2 = 2017–2020 | suboffice3 = Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government | subterm3 = 2016–2017 | suboffice4 = Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | subterm4 = 2014–2016 | suboffice5 = Education and Skills | subterm5 = 2014–2016 | office6 = Teachta Dála | term_start6 = May 2007 | term_end6 = November 2024 | constituency6 = Meath West | term_start7 = May 2002 | term_end7 = May 2007 | constituency7 = Meath | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|2|21|df=y}} | birth_place = Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland | death_date = | death_place = | party = Fine Gael | spouse = {{marriage|Laura Kenny|2007}} | children = 4 | alma_mater = {{Ubl|Dublin Institute of Technology|Dublin Business School}} | website = {{URL|damienenglish.ie}} |}} '''Damien English''' (born 21 February 1978) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath West constituency from 2007 to 2024, and previously from 2002 to 2007 for the Meath constituency. He served as Minister of State from 2014 to 2023.<ref name="oireachtas_db">{{Cite web |title=Damien English |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Damien-English.D.2002-06-06/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612184738/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Damien-English.D.2002-06-06/ |archive-date=12 June 2018 |access-date=13 May 2009 |website=Oireachtas Members Database}}</ref>
==Early and personal life== English was educated at Bohermeen National School in County Meath, and went on to attend Kells Community School. He further studied and part qualified with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants at the Dublin Institute of Technology and Dublin Business School. He is married to Laura, and they have one son and three daughters.
==Political career== English first entered politics when he was elected to Meath County Council in 1999, for the local electoral area of Navan, where he was the youngest council member.
At the 2002 general election, he was elected to the 29th Dáil as a Fine Gael TD for the Meath constituency, along with his Fine Gael colleague John Bruton.<ref name="elecs_irl">{{Cite web |title=Damien English |url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=4687 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911191813/https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=4687 |archive-date=11 September 2018 |access-date=13 May 2009 |website=ElectionsIreland.org}}</ref> He was the youngest TD in the 29th Dáil, aged 24 years.
English was elected secretary of the Fine Gael parliamentary party in September 2002, and became the party deputy Spokesperson for Arts, Sports and Tourism. In October 2004, he was appointed deputy Spokesperson for Justice and Community Affairs, with special responsibility for Drugs, Alcohol and Crime Prevention. He was a member of the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly from 2002 to 2007. He served as deputy Spokesperson on Enterprise with special responsibility for Labour Affairs and Small Business from 2007 to 2010.
In January 2007, English was linked to a statement by fellow Fine Gael TD John Deasy, regarding Deasy's intention to run for the leadership of the party if Enda Kenny failed to bring the party into government following the 2007 general election. English dismissed these claims as being false.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 January 2007 |title=Calls for election focus within Fine Gael |work=RTÉ News |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0105/finegael.html |url-status=live |access-date=5 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018045547/http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0105/finegael.html |archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref>
He was party deputy spokesperson for Finance, with special responsibility for Banking and Credit from October 2010 to March 2011.
On 15 July 2014, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and at the Department of Education and Skills with responsibility for Skills, Research and Innovation.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 July 2014 |title=Simon Harris among new Ministers of State |work=RTÉ News |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0715/630800-ministers-of-state-appointment/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720122431/http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0715/630800-ministers-of-state-appointment/ |archive-date=20 July 2014}}</ref>
He served as Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government with responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal from May 2016 to June 2017. He served as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government with responsibility for Housing and Urban Development from June 2017 to June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Revealed: These are the Junior Ministers of the 32nd Dáil - Independent.ie |url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/revealed-these-are-the-junior-ministers-of-the-32nd-dil-34730588.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160519205417/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/revealed-these-are-the-junior-ministers-of-the-32nd-dil-34730588.html |archive-date=19 May 2016|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref>
In July 2020, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Businesses and Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection with responsibility for Redundancy and Insolvency Operations and Employer Services.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=17 June 2020 |title=Appointment of Ministers of State |url=https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2020/july/Ir170720.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Iris Oifigiúil |volume=2020 |issue=57 |pages=820–821 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115153100/https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2020/july/Ir170720.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2021 |access-date=11 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite Irish legislation |type=si |year=2020 |number=579 |name=Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 |date=1 December 2020 |access-date=9 December 2020}}; {{cite Irish legislation |type=si |year=2021 |number=71 |name=Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2021 |date=19 January 2021 |access-date=17 March 2021}}</ref>
On 18 September 2024, English announced that he would not contest the next general election.<ref>{{Cite web|title=English announces he will not contest next election|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2024/0918/1470758-damien-english/|work=RTÉ News|date=18 September 2024|access-date=18 September 2024}}</ref>
==Ministerial resignation== In January 2023, news website ''The Ditch'' published a story claiming English failed to declare ownership of an existing home in his planning application for a new property in 2008. It also claimed he neglected to declare such ownership in the Dáil register of interests.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 January 2023 |title=FG minister lied on successful planning application |url=https://www.ontheditch.com/damien-english-planning-permission/ |website=The Ditch}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fine Gael minister Damien English says he complied with Sipo rules over ownership of residential property |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/fine-gael-minister-damien-english-says-he-complied-with-sipo-rules-over-ownership-of-residential-property-42280025.html |website=independent|date=12 January 2023 }}</ref> He resigned as Minister of State on 12 January 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lehane |first=Mícheál |date=12 January 2023 |title=Damien English resigns over 2008 planning application |work=RTÉ.ie |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/0112/1346222-english-resignation/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://independent.ie/irish-news/politics/fine-gael-minister-damien-english-sends-letter-of-resignation-to-taoiseach-leo-varadkar-over-planning-application-42280610.html|title=Fine Gael minister Damien English sends letter of resignation to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar over planning application|publisher=Irish Independent|first=Hugh|last=O'Connell|date=12 January 2023|access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|damienenglish.ie}} *[https://www.finegael.ie/our-people/ministers/meath-west/damien-english/ Damien English's page on the Fine Gael website]
{{s-start}} {{s-hon}} {{s-bef|before = Denis Naughten}} {{s-ttl|title = Baby of the Dáil |years = 2002–2007}} {{s-aft|after = Lucinda Creighton}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before = Ciarán Cannon}} {{s-ttl|title = Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills |years = 2014–2016}} {{s-aft|after = John Halligan}} {{s-bef|before = Seán Sherlock |before2= John Perry}} {{s-ttl|title = Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation |with = Ged Nash |years = 2014–2016}} {{s-aft|after = Pat Breen |after2 = John Halligan}} {{s-bef|before = Paudie Coffey}} {{s-ttl|title = Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government |years = 2016–2017 |with = Catherine Byrne}} {{s-aft|after = Himself|as=Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government}} {{s-bef|before = Himself|as=Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government}} {{s-ttl|title = Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government |years = 2017–2020 |with = John Paul Phelan}} {{s-aft|after = Peter Burke |after2 = Malcolm Noonan}} {{s-bef|before = Pat Breen |before2= John Halligan}} {{s-ttl|title = Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment |years = 2020–2023 |with = Robert Troy (2020–2022) |with2 = Dara Calleary (2022–2025)}} {{s-aft|after = Neale Richmond}} {{s-end}} {{Meath (Dáil constituency)/TDs}} {{Meath West (Dáil constituency)/TDs}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:English, Damien}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Dublin Institute of Technology Category:Alumni of Dublin Business School Category:Fine Gael TDs Category:Members of Meath County Council Category:Members of the 29th Dáil Category:Members of the 30th Dáil Category:Members of the 31st Dáil Category:Members of the 32nd Dáil Category:Ministers of state of the 31st Dáil Category:Ministers of state of the 32nd Dáil Category:Young Fine Gael Category:Members of the 33rd Dáil Category:Ministers of state of the 33rd Dáil Category:Fine Gael local councillors