Paul Connaughton (born 6 June 1944) is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway East constituency^[1] and is the Fine Gael Deputy Spokesperson on Health with special responsibility for Older People.

Connaughton was born in Mountbellew, County Galway. He was educated at St. Jarlath's Vocational School, Mountbellew, and Mountbellew Agricultural College where he did an IMI Management Course. Connaughton first became involved in politics in 1979 when he became a member of Galway County Council. He served on that authority on two occasions between 1979 and 1985, and again from 1991 to 2003.

He was elected to Seanad Éireann on the Agricultural Panel in 1977. Connaughton was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1981 general election, as Teachta Dála for Galway East, and has been returned at every subsequent election.^[2] Between 1982 and 1987 Fine Gael were in government and Connaughton served as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture with special responsibility for Land Structure & Development. He was Fine Gael spokesperson on Energy and Western Development and Chairman of the Political Affairs Committee between 1993 and 1997.

Between 1997 and 2000 he was spokesman on Agriculture and Food. He was Fine Gael front bench spokesperson on Marine, Natural Resources and Energy from June 2000 to February 2001. In Enda Kenny's Front Bench reshuffle in 2004 Connaughton received his current portfolio. He has also served as spokesman on a range of portfolios including Agriculture, Social Welfare, Regional Development and Regional Affairs, Defence and Tourism during his political career.

His daughter Sinead Connaughton was a member of Galway County Council representing the Tuam electoral area from 2003–2009.^[2] His son Paul jnr was elected to Galway County Council at the 2009 local elections representing the Ballinasloe electoral area.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Paul Connaughton's page on the Fine Gael website

Paul Connaughton Oireachtas Preceded by Constituency redrawn Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Galway East 1981– Incumbent ‹ The template below is being considered for deletion. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus. › v • d • e Current members of Dáil Éireann As elected to the 30th Dáil in 2007, with changes (including one vacant seat) Fianna Fáil (75) B. Ahern · D. Ahern · M. Ahern · N. Ahern · B. Andrews · C. Andrews · Ardagh · Aylward · Blaney · A. Brady · C. Brady · J. Brady · Browne · T. Byrne · Calleary · P. Carey · Collins · Conlon · Connick · Coughlan · Cowen · Cregan · Cullen · Curran · Dempsey · Devins · Dooley · Fahey · Finneran · Fitzpatrick · Fleming · Flynn · Hanafin · Haughey · Hoctor · Kelleher · Kelly · Kenneally · Kennedy · Killeen · M. Kitt · T. Kitt · B. Lenihan · C. Lenihan · McDaid · McEllistrim · Mattie McGrath · Michael McGrath · McGuinness · Mansergh · Martin · Moloney · Moynihan · Mulcahy · Nolan · O'Brien · O'Connor · Ó Cuív · O'Dea · O'Donoghue · Ó Fearghaíl · O'Flynn · O'Hanlon · B. O'Keeffe · N. O'Keeffe · O'Rourke · C. O'Sullivan · P. Power · S. Power · Roche · Scanlon · Smith · Treacy · Wallace · Woods Fine Gael (52) Allen · Bannon · Barrett · Breen · Bruton · Burke · C. Byrne · J. Carey · Clune · Connaughton · Coonan · Coveney · Crawford · Creed · Creighton · D'Arcy · Deasy · Deenihan · Doyle · Durkan · English · Enright · Feighan · C. Flanagan · T. Flanagan · B. Hayes · T. Hayes · Hogan · Kehoe · Kenny · Lee · McCormack · McEntee · McGinley · McHugh · Mitchell · Naughten · Neville · Noonan · O'Donnell · O'Dowd · J. O'Keefe · O'Mahony · Perry · Reilly · Ring · Shatter · Sheahan · Sheehan · Stanton · Timmins · Varadkar Labour Party (20) Broughan · Burton · Costello · Gilmore · Higgins · Howlin · C. Lynch · K. Lynch · McManus · O'Shea · J. O'Sullivan · Penrose · Quinn · Rabbitte · Sherlock · Shortall · Stagg · Tuffy · Upton · Wall Green Party (6) Cuffe · Gogarty · Gormley · Ryan · Sargent · White Sinn Féin (4) Ferris · Morgan · Ó Caoláin · Ó Snodaigh Independents (7) Behan · Grealish · Harney · Healy-Rae · Lowry · F. McGrath · M. O'Sullivan Ceann Comhairle: Kirk (FF) Italics = Party leaders Bold = Ministers v • d • e « 13th Seanad «   Members of the 14th Seanad Éireann (1977–1981) » 15th Seanad » Cathaoirleach Séamus Dolan (FF)  • Leader of the Seanad Eoin Ryan, Snr (FF) Administrative Panel Liam Burke (FG) • Micheál Cranitch (FF) • Jack Garrett (FF) • Tras Honan (FF) • Thomas Kilbride (FG) • Michael P. Kitt (FF) • Myles Staunton (FG) Agricultural Panel Pierce Butler (FG) • Paul Connaughton (FG) • John Ellis (FF) • Justin Keating (Lab) • Rory Kiely (FF) • Gerard Lynch (FG) • Joe McCartin (FG) • Charles McDonald (FG) • Patrick McGowan (FF) • Martin O'Toole (FF) • William Ryan (FF) Cultural and Educational Panel Richard Conroy (FF) • Patrick Cooney (FG) • Flor Crowley (FF) • Timothy McAuliffe (Lab) • David Molony (FG) Industrial and Commercial Panel Ruairí Brugha (FF) • Alexis FitzGerald, Snr (FG) • Desmond Governey (FG) • Michael Howard (FG) • Liam Hyland (FF) • Mick Lanigan (FF) • Michael Moynihan (Lab) • Patrick J. Reynolds (FG) • Eoin Ryan, Snr (FF) Labour Panel John Blennerhassett (FG) • Séamus Dolan (FF) • Joseph Dowling (FF) • Des Hanafin (FF) • Jack Harte (Lab) • Anthony Herbert (FF) • Brian Hillery (FF) • Fintan Kennedy (Lab) • Michael Lyons (FG) • Bernard Markey (FG) • Andy O'Brien (FG) National University of Ireland Gemma Hussey (Ind) • Augustine Martin (Ind) • John A. Murphy (Ind) University of Dublin Conor Cruise O'Brien (Ind) • Mary Robinson (Lab) • Trevor West (Ind) Nominated by the Taoiseach Séamus Brennan (FF) • Séamus de Brún (FF) • Eileen Cassidy (FF) • Valerie Goulding (FF) • Mary Harney (FF) • Valentine Jago (FF) • Gordon Lambert (Ind) • Bernard McGlinchey (FF) • Noel William Mulcahy (FF) • T. K. Whitaker (Ind) • Michael Yeats (FF) Elected or nominated later 1977 Michael Patrick Donnelly (FF) • 1979 Catherine McGuinness (Ind) • 1980 Jim Doolan (FF) • James Ruttle (FF) • 1981 P. J. Mara (FF) • Joseph O'Neill (??)} FF: Fianna Fáil • FG: Fine Gael • Lab: Labour Party • Ind: Independent •  ??: Unknown party