Barry Cowen

Barry Cowen (born 28 August 1967) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician serving as Minister for Agriculture and Marine in the government of Ireland since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Laois–Offaly constituency since the 2020 general election.[2][3] He was previously a TD for the Offaly constituency from 2016 to 2020, and for Laois–Offaly from 2011 to 2016.

Barry Cowen TD
Minister for Agriculture and Marine
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 June 2020
Taoiseach	Micheál Martin
Preceded by	Michael Creed
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office February 2020
In office February 2011 – February 2016
Constituency	Laois–Offaly
In office February 2016 – February 2020
Constituency	Offaly
Personal details
Born	(1967-08-28) 28 August 1967[1] Clara, County Offaly, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse(s)	Mary Cowen (m. 1995)
Relations	Bernard Cowen (father) Brian Cowen (brother)
Children	4
Alma mater	NUI Galway

He is married with four children and is a full-time politician.[4] He is the brother of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen. His father Bernard Cowen was also a TD, Senator and Minister of State. His grandfather Christy Cowen was an Offaly County Councillor and a member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive. Another relation, Ernest Cowan, was also a member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive having been elected to its Committee of 15.

Before his election to Dáil Éireann, he was a member of Offaly County Council for the Tullamore local electoral area since 1991.[2]

He has served in various Fianna Fáil Front Bench roles, Spokesperson for Social Protection from 2011 to 2012, Spokesperson for Housing, Planning and Local Government from 2012 to 2018 and Spokesperson for Public Expenditure and Reform since March 2018.

He represented Fianna Fáil in talks on government formation in 2016.[5]