Charlie McConalogue has been named as the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.
The Donegal-based TD replaces Mayo’s Dara Calleary who resigned after attending an event with more than eighty other people, despite revised health and safety guidelines.
Background
McConalogue grew up on a farm and studied Economics, Politics and History at UCD.
He first became involved in politics whilst attending the college and officially ran for political office in 2009.
He worked on the family farm, in Fianna Fáil headquarters for a number of years and aboard in Australia prior to this.
He began his political career in 2009, after he was elected as a Donegal County Councillor and was later elected as a TD for Donegal North East two years later.
Prior to today’s appointment, he was the Minister for State at the Department of Justice and Equality with responsibility for Law and Reform.
‘Broad and deep’
An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said McConalogue’s knowledge is “broad and deep” as he acknowledged that the new agriculture minister will face a number of “urgent” challenges.
