Darragh O'Brien (born 8 July 1974) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Transport and Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy since January 2025. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Fingal East constituency since the 2024 general election. He represented the Dublin Fingal constituency from 2016 to 2024, and the Dublin North constituency from 2007 to 2011. He previously served as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage from 2020 to 2025 and a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2011 to 2016.{{cite web|title=Darragh O'Brien|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Darragh-O'Brien.D.2007-06-14/|access-date=14 April 2009|work=Oireachtas Members Database|archive-date=24 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190524132822/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Darragh-O%27Brien.D.2007-06-14/|url-status=live}}

Personal life

He was born and raised in Malahide, County Dublin, where he is an active member of St. Sylvesters GAA club, Malahide United F.C. and Malahide Rugby Club. As a child, O'Brien attended Pope John Paul II National Catholic School and then Malahide Community School (Pobalscoil Íosa). He is one of six children. His brother Eoghan O'Brien is a Fingal County Councillor, representing the Howth-Malahide local electoral area.{{Cite web |date=18 June 2022|title=Why Darragh O'Brien's Ambitions Are Like A House Of Cards |url=https://extra.ie/2022/06/18/news/profile-darragh-obriens-ambitions |access-date=5 June 2023|language=en}}

Before entering politics, he worked in the Pensions sector with Friends First Assurance Company. He lives in Malahide with his wife and daughter.{{cite web |title=About Darragh |url=http://www.darraghobrien.ie/about-darragh.html |website=darraghobrien.ie |access-date=1 July 2020 |archive-date=10 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610140310/http://www.darraghobrien.ie/about-darragh.html |url-status=live }}

Political career

He was co-opted to a seat on Fingal County Council in March 2004. He was then elected to Fingal County Council on his own right at the 2004 local elections.

O'Brien was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=329|title=Darragh O'Brien|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=14 April 2009|archive-date=3 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203042830/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=329|url-status=live}} He was vice-chair of Public Accounts committee, Convenor on Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs during the 30th Dáil. He was also a member of Select Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights.

O'Brien was appointed to the Fianna Fáil frontbench as Spokesperson for Sport in January 2011.

He lost his seat in the 2011 general election.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/election2011/results/dublin-north.html |title=Dublin North Results |work=RTÉ News |access-date=27 February 2011 |date=28 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228221605/http://www.rte.ie/news/election2011/results/dublin-north.html |archive-date=28 February 2011 }} He was nominated by the Taoiseach Brian Cowen to the 23rd Seanad on 4 March 2011 to fill a vacancy.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0303/seanad.html|title=47 candidates for University Seanad seats|work=RTÉ News|date=3 March 2011|access-date=3 March 2011|archive-date=4 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304180915/http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0303/seanad.html|url-status=live}} He was elected to the 24th Seanad on the Labour Panel in April 2011. He was the Fianna Fáil Seanad leader and spokesperson on Finance from 2011 to 2016.

He returned to the Dáil at the 2016 general election, winning a seat in the new constituency of Dublin Fingal. He was the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Housing, Planning and Local Government until his appointment as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in June 2020.

O'Brien was re-elected at the 2020 general election.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/dublin-fingal-results-sf-wave-results-in-high-profile-fine-gael-casualty-1.4165193 |title=Dublin Fingal results: SF wave results in high-profile Fine Gael casualty |date=10 February 2020 |orig-date=9 February 2020 |first=Martin |last=Wall |newspaper=The Irish Times |location=Dublin |access-date=5 June 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210606005303/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/dublin-fingal-results-sf-wave-results-in-high-profile-fine-gael-casualty-1.4165193 |archive-date=6 June 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/election2020/dublin-fingal |title=Election 2020: Dublin Fingal |date=10 February 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |location=Dublin |access-date=5 June 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210606005330/https://www.irishtimes.com/election2020/dublin-fingal |archive-date=6 June 2021}} As part of the coalition government, O'Brien was appointed Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on 27 June 2020. In his time as Minister for Housing, O'Brien presided over what has been described as "the worst housing crisis in over 40 years" by Fr. Peter McVerry of the Peter McVerry Trust, a national housing and homeless charity committed to reducing homelessness and the harm caused by substance misuse and social disadvantage.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0531/1302208-housing-campaign/|title=Housing crisis 'worse today than any time in 40 years' - McVerry |work=RTÉ News |access-date=13 December 2022 |date=13 May 2022 }}

On 13 December 2022, he survived a motion of no confidence in the Dáil by a vote of 86 to 63, with one abstention. On 17 December 2022, he was re-appointed to the same position following Leo Varadkar's appointment as Taoiseach.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2022/1217/1342500-cabinet-reshuffle-govt/|title=Reshuffle: Who is in the new Cabinet?|publisher=RTÉ News|first=Micheál|last=Lehane|date=17 December 2022|access-date=18 December 2022}}

In June 2023, O'Brien was appointed as Fianna Fáil's director of European elections for the 2024 European Parliament elections.{{Cite news |title=Fianna Fáil appoints Ministers to direct local and European election campaigns |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/oireachtas/2023/05/31/fianna-fail-appoints-ministers-to-direct-local-and-european-election-campaigns/ |access-date=5 June 2023|newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}

At the 2024 general election, O'Brien was re-elected to the Dáil for Dublin Fingal East. On 23 January 2025, he was appointed as Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport in the government led by Micheál Martin.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2025/0123/1492578-new-cabinet-in-full/|title=Cabinet list in full with number of promotions, changes|publisher=RTÉ News|first=Fiachra|last=Ó Cionnaith|date=23 January 2025|access-date=23 January 2025}}