Patrick Breen (born 21 March 1957) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Minister of State from 2016 to 2020. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Clare constituency from 2002 to 2020.[1]

Pat Breen
Breen in 2017
Minister of State
2017–2020Business, Enterprise and Innovation
2017–2020Employment Affairs and Social Protection
2017–2020Taoiseach
2017–2020Justice and Equality
2016–2017Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Teachta Dála
In office
May 2002 – February 2020
ConstituencyClare
Personal details
Born (1957-03-21) 21 March 1957 (age 67)
Ennis, County Clare, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
Spouse
Ann McInerney
(m. 1993)
Children2
Alma materLimerick Institute of Technology

Having been a member of Clare County Council and the Vocational Educational Committee from June 1999 to May 2002, Breen was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2002 general election.[2] He was the Chairman of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee and was deputy leader of the Irish Delegation to the Council of Europe.

While Fine Gael were in opposition, Breen was the Fine Gael deputy spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for Human Rights and Overseas Development Aid; and deputy spokesperson on Transport and Enterprise, and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with special responsibility for Small Business. He has also served as a member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, the Privileges and Procedures Committee, the House Services Committee and the Committee on Enterprise and Small Business.

On 19 May 2016, on the nomination of Taoiseach Enda Kenny, he was appointed by the Fine Gael–Independent government as Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation with special responsibility for Employment and Small Business.[3][4]

On 20 June 2017, on the nomination of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, he was appointed by the Fine Gael–Independent government as Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Justice and Equality with special responsibility for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection.[5][6]

He lost his seat at the 2020 general election, continuing in office as a junior minister until the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020.

References

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  1. ^ "Pat Breen". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Pat Breen". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  3. ^ "2016 Edition, No. 47" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 10 June 2016. p. 805. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ^ Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 333 of 2016). Signed on 28 June 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 26 March 2021.; Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 6 of 2017). Signed on 17 January 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 26 March 2021.
  5. ^ "2017 Edition, No. 52" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 30 June 2017. p. 882. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  6. ^ Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 362 of 2017). Signed on 26 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 21 March 2021.; Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 569 of 2017). Signed on 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 21 March 2021.
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