Frank Feighan

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Frank Feighan
TD
Frank Feighan 2014.jpg
Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy
Assumed office
1 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded byCatherine Byrne
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2020
ConstituencySligo–Leitrim
In office
May 2007 – February 2016
ConstituencyRoscommon–South Leitrim
Senator
In office
11 May 2016 – 10 February 2020
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
In office
12 September 2002 – 30 May 2007
ConstituencyAdministrative Panel
Personal details
Born (1962-07-04) 4 July 1962 (age 59)
Sligo, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFine Gael
Spouse(s)Elaine Mooney (m. 2014)
Children2
Websitefrankfeighan.ie

Frank Feighan (/ˈfiːən/; born 4 July 1962) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency since 2020, and previously from 2007 to 2016 for the Roscommon–South Leitrim constituency. He previously served as a Senator for the Administrative Panel from 2002 to 2007 and from 2020 to 2016, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.[1][2]

Early and personal life[]

Feighan was born in Sligo in 1966, but is a native of Boyle, County Roscommon. He is married and has two children. He lives in Sligo with his family.

He took part in the RTÉ charity show, You're a Star in 2006 to raise funds for a children's charity.

In 2008, Feighan appeared on the Irish times list of TDs with notable private portfolios. Ownership of multiple properties in addition to shares in mining companies, along with shares in financial institutions are listed.[3]

On 7 November 2021, Feighan experienced symptoms of COVID-19 and a positive test result was announced the next day.[4]

Political career[]

He was a member of Roscommon County Council from 1999 to 2004.[5] Feighan was first elected to the Dáil at the 2007 general election. He was the party deputy Spokesperson on Transport and Education with special responsibility for Rural and School Transport from 2007 to 2010. In July 2010, he was appointed as party spokesperson on Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.[6]

He was re-elected at the 2011 general election. In government he voted with Fine Gael on the Roscommon Hospital issue on 6 July 2011, when his constituency colleague Denis Naughten voted against them and lost the Fine Gael party whip.[7][8] He told the Dáil he was "sincerely sorry" for breaking a pre-election promise in relation to the issue.[9]

On 13 July 2015, he announced that he would not be contesting the 2016 general election.[10]

Shortly before the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union he expressed his wishes for the Republic of Ireland to rejoin the Commonwealth.[11]

He was the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Mental Health and Older People.

Following the formation of the Government of the 33rd Dáil, Feighan was appointed Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy.

In May 2021, Feighan's proposal to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Ireland was approved by cabinet ministers. Under this legislation, a 10 cent per gram of alcohol minimum cost would be installed, with the minister citing that for example a 70cl bottle of vodka would now cost at a minimum €20.71.[12]

A decision by the Department of Health on the suspension of the North Inner City Drugs Task Force in July 2021 was criticized by the group's director Professor Joe Barry. Feighan, as minister with responsibility for drugs strategy, defended the decision due to "governance shortcomings" in the group. Barry contested that the decision has been carried out to "remove every shred of independence from the task force by taking over the appointment of the chair and the appointment of members".[13]

References[]

  1. ^ "Frank Feighan". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  2. ^ Sarah Bardon (27 May 2016). "FF leader selects three of Taoiseach's 11 Seanad appointees". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. ^ Hennessy, Mark. "Fahey tops list of TD property holdings". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  4. ^ Burke, Céimin (8 November 2021). "Junior health minister Frank Feighan tests positive for Covid-19". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Frank Feighan". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  6. ^ "Bruton & Noonan return to Fine Gael frontbench". RTÉ News. 1 July 2010. Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  7. ^ "Naughten votes against Govt on hospital motion". RTÉ News. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Naughten votes against Govt in Roscommon Hospital Dáil motion". Irish Examiner. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Naughten defies FG over A&E closure". The Irish Times. 7 July 2011. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  10. ^ "TD Frank Feighan will not contest next general election". Irish Independent. 13 July 2015. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Ireland should consider rejoining Commonwealth, FG Senator says". Irish Times. 21 June 2016. Archived from the original on 22 June 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  12. ^ McQuinn, Cormac. "Minimum pricing for alcohol to be enforced from January 2022". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Standoff as drugs task force fight suspension by Department of Health". The Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.

External links[]

Oireachtas
Preceded by Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Roscommon–South Leitrim
2007–2016 		Constituency abolished
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy
2020–present 		Incumbent
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