Paul Connaughton

Paul Connaughton (born June 1944) is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is also a Teachta Dála (TD) for Galway East and is currently the Fine Gael Spokesperson on Regional Development & Regional Affairs. Paul Connaughton was born in Mountbellew, 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.

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. 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 & 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, Defence and Tourism during his political career.

His daughter Sinead is a member of Galway County Council representing the Tuam electoral area.Fact|date=January 2008

External links

* [http://paulconnaughton.finegael.ie/Representatives/common/index.cfm/TD_Key/22 Paul Connaughton's page on the Fine Gael website]
* [http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3169 Paul Connaughton's electoral history] (ElectionsIreland.org)
*oireachtas-database