Joe O'Brien is an Irish Green Party politician who has served as a Minister of State since July 2020. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Fingal constituency from 2019 to 2024.[1][2]
Joe O'Brien | |
|---|---|
 O'Brien in 2020 | |
| Minister of State | |
| 2022– | Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth |
| 2020– | Social Protection |
| 2020– | Rural and Community Development |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office November 2019 – November 2024 | |
| Constituency | Dublin Fingal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1976 or 1977 (age 47–48) Cork, Ireland |
| Political party | Green Party |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | North Monastery |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
| Website | joefingalgreen |
Background
editO'Brien was born in Cork and grew up in Grenagh, County Cork.[3] He attended the North Monastery secondary school.[3] O'Brien graduated from University College Cork with a degree in French and Economics.[3] After his studies, he moved to Dublin, where he became an advocate for inclusion and migrant rights.[3] He has worked for the Immigrant Council of Ireland as well as Crosscare, which is one of the largest providers of services to the homeless in Dublin city.[3] O'Brien lives in Skerries with his wife and three children.[4]
As an observer with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), an international programme coordinated by the World Council of Churches, O'Brien worked in the Bethlehem area for three months in 2009.[5] In this role, he monitored checkpoints of the Israeli Defence Forces and supported local Palestinian and Israeli peace groups.[6] In a submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee On Foreign Affairs And Trade in 2012, he set out the EAPPI's position in advocating a ban on the sale of Israeli products produced in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.[5]
In January 2016 he acted as a whistleblower on the apparent under-reporting of homelessness figures.[7] A report compiled by O'Brien suggested the actual level of homelessness may have been more than 50% greater than the official figures.[8]
Political career
editO'Brien was a member of Fingal County Council from May 2019 to November 2019, representing the Balbriggan local electoral area.[9]
He was elected to the Dáil in a by-election in November 2019.[2][10][11] In December 2019, he won a discrimination case at the Workplace Relations Commission against Irish Rail over its failure to maintain working lifts at train stations in Balbriggan and Skerries.[12]
He retained his seat in the 2020 general election.[13][14] During the 2020 election campaign, O'Brien was listed (among other candidates) as a supporter of the Oireachtas Committee on Health's recommendations to address foetal anti-convulsant syndrome,[15] of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign's proposal to prohibit the import of goods from "illegal settlements in Palestine" and to the right to free speech and non-violent activism,[16] and of The Wheel's "Stronger Communities, Stronger Ireland" manifesto for charities and voluntary organisations.[17]
In June 2020, during a speech in the Dáil, he stated that some politicians had used racism to get elected in Ireland.[18][19][20]
Following the formation of a coalition government in late June 2020, O'Brien was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Social Protection with special responsibility for Community Development and Charities.[21][22][23][24]
In July 2020, O'Brien abstained from voting for the Government's Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill, and was sanctioned by Green Party leader Eamon Ryan by having his speaking rights withdrawn for two months.[25][26]
During 2021 and 2022, he called for a €50 increase in core social welfare payments and a €10 increase in weekly social welfare payments.[27][28]
In December 2022, he was re-appointed to the same position, as well as Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with special responsibility for Integration following the appointment of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach.[29]
In January 2024, he stated that Ireland should join the South Africa v. Israel (Genocide Convention) case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),[30] and in March 2024 he called for UNRWA funding to be reinstated by countries who had paused funding and suggested that Israel would only respond to international demands on international law if there was an economic consequence.[31]
He lost his seat at the 2024 general election.
References
edit- ^ "Joe O'Brien". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
- ^ a b "SF, FF and Greens clinch Dáil seats with count complete". RTÉ News. 30 November 2019. Archived from the original on 30 November 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Who is new Green Party TD Joe O'Brien?". The Irish Times. 1 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
- ^ "Joe O'Brien". www.gov.ie. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Joint Committee On Foreign Affairs And Trade - Debate". Oireachtas.ie. 19 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
I was placed in the Bethlehem area for three months in 2009 [..] Observers are deployed to offer protection through non-violent presence, monitor and report violations of human rights and international humanitarian law [..] We also ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to initiate cross-departmental measures to start us off on the path towards getting illegal settlement products off the Irish market.
- ^ "Palestinian human rights trip for Skerries man Joe". independent.ie. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
The observers will carry out duties such as monitoring Israeli army checkpoints that Palestinians need to pass through [..and..] supporting local Palestinian and Israeli peace groups
- ^ Clifford, Mick (14 January 2016). "Whistleblower fought tooth and nail to reveal 'under-reporting' of homelessness issue". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ Clifford, Mick (14 January 2016). "Homeless figures are deliberately being under-reported claims Whistleblower". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ O'Halloran, Marie. "Fingal County Council results: Greens gain three seats as 20-year-old student is elected". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Fiach (30 November 2019). "Dublin Fingal: Joe O'Brien wins Green Party's first ever byelection". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ "Dublin Fingal". Irish Times. Dublin. 30 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ Coyle, Colin. "Green TD Joe O'Brien wins discrimination case over Irish Rail's broken lifts". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ Wall, Martin (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Dublin Fingal results: SF wave results in high-profile Fine Gael casualty". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ "Election 2020: Dublin Fingal". Irish Times. Dublin. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ "#GE2020 - Candidates who have pledged to work on Epilepsy issues". epilepsy.ie. Epilepsy Ireland. 7 February 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ "Let's make Palestine an election issue: #PalestinePledges for #GE2020". ipsc.ie. Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign. 20 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ "Candidates who have signed our manifesto pledge". wheel.ie. The Wheel. 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
- ^ Doyle, Maggie (17 June 2020). "Some TDs 'used racism' to get elected - O'Brien". RTÉ.ie.
- ^ "Some TDs used racism to get elected - Green deputy tells the Dáil". independent. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ "Dáil hears claims TDs used racism to get elected". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2020 (57): 820–821. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "Appointment of Ministers and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (33rd Dáil) – Vol. 994 No. 5". Houses of the Oireachtas. 7 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "Explainer: Who are the new junior ministers and what jobs did they get?". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ^ "These are the 17 new junior ministers completing the government". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ^ Bray, Jennifer; McGee, Harry (30 July 2020). "Greens shaken as Joe O'Brien abstains and Hourigan votes against Government". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Green Party sanctions O'Brien, Hourigan over Dáil vote". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Green minister pushes €50 social welfare increase". independent. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Minister has not had pushback on call for 'double digit' increases to welfare payments". The Irish Times. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Minister of State appointments". gov.ie. Department of the Taoiseach. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ Lehane, Mícheál (23 January 2024). "Govt to 'strongly consider' intervening in ICJ case". RTÉ.ie.
- ^ "Suspending EU-Israel trade deal may be only way to end Gaza war in Gaza, junior minister says". www.businesspost.ie. Retrieved 15 March 2024.