Brian Hayes
Brian Hayes (born 23 August 1969) is an Irish Fine Gael politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Dublin since May 2014. He is a former Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South–West constituency, and served as Minister of State at the Department of Finance from 2011 to 2014.
Political Career[edit]
In December 1995, he was nominated by the Taoiseach, John Bruton, to the 20th Seanad Éireann, where he was appointed Government spokesperson on the Environment. Hayes was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1997 general election for the Dublin South–West constituency. He was appointed Fine Gael spokesperson on Housing, House Prices and Urban Renewal. In a reshuffle of the Fine Gael front bench in June 2000, Hayes was promoted as spokesperson on Northern Ireland. Between 2001 and 2002 he served as Fine Gael's spokesperson on Social and Community Affairs.
Hayes lost his seat at the 2002 general election but was elected to Seanad Éireann, where he served as Fine Gael Seanad leader and spokesperson on Defence and Northern Ireland. At the 2007 general election he was re-elected to the Dáil on the first count in the Dublin South–West constituency. He was party spokesperson for Education and Science from 2007 to 2010. In October 2010, he was appointed as party Deputy spokesperson on Finance with special responsibility for Public Expenditure. In March 2011, Brian Hayes was appointed by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for Public Service Reform and the Office of Public Works.
Education[edit]
He was educated at Garbally College, Ballinasloe, County Galway; St Patrick's College, Maynooth, from which he received a degree in history and sociology in 1991, and Trinity College, Dublin. Formerly a secondary school teacher, he was a member of South Dublin County Council between 1995 and 2003.
