Colm Brophy

Colm Brophy
TD
Brophy in 2016
Minister of State
2020–2022Foreign Affairs
Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight
In office
13 December 2017 – 1 July 2020
Preceded byJosepha Madigan
Succeeded byNeasa Hourigan
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyDublin South-West
Personal details
Born (1966-06-22) 22 June 1966 (age 58)
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyFine Gael
Spouse
Maeve O'Connell
​
(m. 1998)​
Alma materDublin Institute of Technology

Colm Brophy (born 22 June 1966) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-West constituency since 2016.[1] He served as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs from July 2020 to December 2022.

Originally from Cabinteely, Brophy studied business at Rathmines College of Commerce.[2] Before becoming a councillor, he was the Director of Elections for the European Parliament campaigns for Fine Gael candidates Mary Banotti and Gay Mitchell.[3]

He was co-opted as a member of South Dublin County Council in 2008, and served as a councillor until 2016.[4][3]

At the 2016 general election, Brophy stood as one of three Fine Gael candidates in the Dublin South-West constituency. He won with 10.7% of the first preference votes, and was elected on the sixteenth count without reaching the quota.[5] Brian Lawlor was co-opted to fill Brophy's seat on South Dublin County Council.[6]

He was appointed Chair of the Dáil Committee on Budgetary Oversight in December 2017.[7]

At the general election in February 2020, he won 12.2% of the first-preference votes, and was re-elected on the tenth count.[8][9] Following the formation of the Government of the 33rd Dáil, Brophy was appointed on 1 July 2020 as the Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora.[10] He said that his "focus in the coming months and years will be to listen to, and to support, our Diaspora communities, particularly its most vulnerable members".[11][12]

He was not re-appointed as a junior minister as part of the 33rd Government of Ireland in December 2022.[13]

Brophy is married to Maeve O'Connell, who is a Fine Gael councillor on Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council.[2]

  1. ^ "Colm Brophy". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b Holland, Kitty. "Election 2020: Colm Brophy (Fine Gael)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Election 2016: Colm Brophy". RTÉ. 28 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  4. ^ "Colm Brophy". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Constituency: Dublin South-West". Dublin: Irish Independent. 27 February 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  6. ^ Lyne, Laura (21 March 2016). "New councillors take seats in council chamber". The Echo. Dublin. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Colm Brophy". Houses of the Oireachtas. December 2017. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  8. ^ Holland, Kitty (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Dublin South West results: Zappone bows out as Duffy and Lahart take final seats. Minister Katherine Zappone 'very proud' of change she achieved in Government". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Election 2020: Dublin South-West". The Irish Times. Dublin. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. ^ Bray, Jennifer; Kelly, Fiach; Leahy, Pat (1 July 2020). "Full line up of junior ministers unveiled as Taoiseach accused by one TD of snub". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Colm Brophy TD appointed Junior Minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs". echo.ie. Dublin: The Echo. 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Press release: Colm Brophy, T.D. appointed as Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora Press release". dfa.ie. Department of Foreign Affairs. 2 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Carroll MacNeill and O'Donnell promoted to junior ministers". RTÉ News. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.