Seán Kyne

Kyne is from Moycullen, County Galway. He attended St Mary's College, Galway, then NUI Galway and University College Dublin, studying agricultural science in both (primary degree in Galway and master's degree in Dublin).[3][4]

At the 2004 local elections, he was elected to Galway County Council for the Connemara local electoral area.[5] He was re-elected to Galway County Council in 2009, having unsuccessfully contested Galway West at the 2007 general election.[5] He was also unsuccessful at the 2007 election to the 23rd Seanad, when he stood for the Agricultural Panel.[5]

His election in Galway West was the last result to be declared at the 2011 general election. When the result showed victory for Kyne over the Independent candidate Catherine Connolly by a margin of 17 votes, she sought a full recount, which concluded after a total of four days of counting but did not change the outcome.[6] His victory gave Fine Gael two seats in Galway West for the first time since 1982.[6] He was re-elected at the 2016 general election. He was appointed by Taoiseach Enda Kenny as Minister of State with responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources in May 2016.

In June 2017, he became Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development, but following a cabinet reshuffle in October 2018, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar appointed him as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Gaeilge, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.

He lost his seat at the 2020 general election. He was nominated to the Seanad by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, to fill a vacancy caused by the election of Frank Feighan to the Dáil.[7] On 31 March 2020, Kyne was elected to Seanad Éireann following the 2020 election to the upper house.[8]

• Official website
• Seán Kyne's page on the Fine Gael website