Josepha Madigan

Madigan was born in Dublin in 1970.{{Cite web|title=About Josepha|url=https://www.josephamadigan.ie/about-josepha|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105130430/http://www.josephamadigan.ie/about-josepha/|archive-date=5 November 2017|access-date=19 May 2021|website=Josephamadigan.ie}} She attended Mount Anville Secondary School and Trinity College Dublin. She is married to Finbarr Hayes, and they have two children. Her father, Patrick Madigan, was a Fianna Fáil County Councillor in Dublin, her mother, Patricia Madigan, was a barrister who had a background in Fine Gael.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2017/1130/924008-who-is-josepha-madigan/|title=What you need to know about the new Culture Minister|website=RTÉ News|date=1 December 2017|access-date=12 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141205/https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2017/1130/924008-who-is-josepha-madigan/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/09/josepha-madigan-the-new-face-of-fine-gael/|title=Josepha Madigan, the new face of Fine Gael|work=UniversityTimes.ie|date=30 September 2017|access-date=12 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142607/http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/09/josepha-madigan-the-new-face-of-fine-gael/|url-status=live}} She and her family live in Mount Merrion. Madigan is a survivor of sexual assault.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0706/1233481-josepha-madigan-sexual-assault/|title=Minister of State Josepha Magidan tells Dáil she is survivor of sexual assault|publisher=RTÉ News and Current Affairs|date=6 July 2021|access-date=6 July 2021|archive-date=6 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706181838/https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0706/1233481-josepha-madigan-sexual-assault/|url-status=live}}

Madigan is a qualified solicitor, who practised in family law for twenty years, prior to her election to Dáil Éireann. She is also certified as a mediator by the Mediators' Institute of Ireland (MII) and is a previous Council member of the MII. She is a former Specialist Liaison Officer for Family Mediation in the MII.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishlegal.com/3754/mediators-institute-congratulates-mediator-on-election-to-dail/|title=Mediators' Institute congratulates mediator on election to Dáil|date=2 March 2016|access-date=2 March 2016|publisher=Irish Legal News|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306144108/http://www.irishlegal.com/3754/mediators-institute-congratulates-mediator-on-election-to-dail/|url-status=live}}

Madigan is the author of the first book in Ireland on mediation: Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Ireland, a handbook for family lawyers and their clients (Jordan Publishing, 2012). She has also self-published a novel called Negligent Behaviour.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/profile-josepha-madigan-fg-1.2552454|title=Profile: Josepha Madigan (FG)|date=28 February 2016|access-date=2 March 2016|newspaper=The Irish Times|archive-date=29 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229102301/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/profile-josepha-madigan-fg-1.2552454|url-status=live}}

Madigan served as a councillor for the local electoral area of Stillorgan on Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, from May 2014 until her election as a TD in 2016.{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Josepha Madigan|url=https://www.finegael.ie/josepha-madigan/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205124935/https://www.finegael.ie/josepha-madigan/|archive-date=5 February 2021|access-date=27 January 2021|website=Fine Gael|language=en}}

Madigan issued a leaflet in 2014 claimed that providing accommodation for Travellers in her constituency would be "a waste of valuable resources". When asked about this later, Madigan claimed "Some people won't want to live beside people in halting sites [...] there might be more crime, that there might be anti-social behaviour".{{cite news|date=3 December 2017|title=New Minister Madigan insists she is 'absolutely not anti-Traveller' and that 2014 newsletter contents were 'widely misrepresented'|newspaper=Irish Independent|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/new-minister-madigan-insists-she-is-absolutely-not-antitraveller-and-that-2014-newsletter-contents-were-widely-misrepresented-36374812.html|access-date=23 January 2018|author-first=Cormac|author-last=McQuinn|archive-date=24 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124073732/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/new-minister-madigan-insists-she-is-absolutely-not-antitraveller-and-that-2014-newsletter-contents-were-widely-misrepresented-36374812.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|date=6 December 2015|title=Josepha Madigan: 'Why I'm standing over my Traveller site views'|publisher=Sunday Independent|url=http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/josepha-madigan-why-im-standing-over-my-traveller-site-views-34262443.html|access-date=11 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612170607/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/josepha-madigan-why-im-standing-over-my-traveller-site-views-34262443.html|url-status=live}}

Madigan was elected to the 32nd Dáil at the 2016 general election as a Fine Gael TD for the Dublin Rathdown constituency, defeating sitting Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter by nearly 1,000 votes. She was appointed Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight in July 2017.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=10858|title=Josepha Madigan|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163607/https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=10858|url-status=live}}

She was a member of the Public Accounts Committee. She introduced a private member's bill to reduce the waiting time for divorce in Ireland from four years to two, which was passed by the Dáil.{{Cite web|date=6 July 2016|title=Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Dissolution of Marriage) Act 2019 – No. C38 of 2019 |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2016/57|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222123558/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2016/57/|archive-date=22 December 2020|access-date=27 January 2021|website=Houses of the Oireachtas|language=en-ie}}

On 30 November 2017, Madigan was appointed to the cabinet as Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, in a reshuffle following the resignation of the Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/1130/923875-new-tanaiste-to-be-announced-today/|title=Taoiseach names Simon Coveney as new Tánaiste|work=RTÉ News|date=30 November 2017|access-date=30 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043448/https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/1130/923875-new-tanaiste-to-be-announced-today/|url-status=live}}

On 29 March 2018, Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar appointed Madigan as the coordinator for the party's Yes campaign in the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.{{cite news|last1=McQuinn|first1=Cormac|title='My support for abortion is not at odds with my faith' - Madigan|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/abortion-referendum/my-support-for-abortion-is-not-at-odds-with-my-faith-madigan-36776285.html|access-date=26 May 2018|work=Irish Independent|date=5 April 2018|archive-date=27 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527023643/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/abortion-referendum/my-support-for-abortion-is-not-at-odds-with-my-faith-madigan-36776285.html|url-status=live}}

She was re-elected at the 2020 general election, taking the third seat behind Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin and party colleague Neale Richmond. On 1 July 2020, Madigan was appointed by the new government as Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for special education and inclusion.{{cite web|url=https://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/News/Minister_of_State_Appointments.html|title=Minister of State Appointments|access-date=2 July 2020|date=1 July 2020|website=MerrionStreet.ie|archive-date=2 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702091438/https://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/News/Minister_of_State_Appointments.html|url-status=live}} On 14 January 2021, Madigan came under fire for describing children without additional needs as 'normal' while speaking in the Dáil.{{Cite web|last=Casey|first=Jess|date=14 January 2021|title=Minister for Special Education describes children without additional needs as 'normal'|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40207280.html|access-date=27 January 2021|website=Irish Examiner|language=en|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126030755/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40207280.html|url-status=live}} "We all know that even for normal children remote teaching is difficult but for children who have additional needs it is particularly difficult," she said. Later that day on Twitter, the minister said she 'sincerely apologises for the language she used.' "It is absolutely not what I meant to say."{{Cite tweet|last=Madigan|first=Josepha|date=14 January 2021|user=JosephaMadigan|title=I sincerely apologise for my language. It is absolutely not what I meant to say. Looking forward to continued cooperation into the future.|number=1349764571985293313|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114203524/https://twitter.com/josephamadigan/status/1349764571985293313|archive-date=14 January 2021|access-date=27 January 2021}}

On 20 January 2021, speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Madigan compared children with additional needs not attending school to the mother and baby homes.{{Cite web|last=Moore|first=Aoife|date=20 January 2021|title=Josepha Madigan apologises for comparing SNAs fallout to mother and baby homes|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40210766.html|access-date=27 January 2021|website=Irish Examiner|language=en|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201023626/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40210766.html|url-status=live}} "We've spent the last week talking about mother and baby homes, where our most vulnerable were left to their own devices in less than satisfactory conditions and we're now allowing further anxiety and upset to be placed on the shoulders of parents whose children desperately need to go back to school." The Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Related Matters was published the week prior to Madigan's comments. Madigan later apologised in a statement: "I am, as are all involved in supporting these children [children with additional needs], passionate about vindicating their rights and in reaching for an analogy I chose poorly. I apologise fully."

Shortly after the first report of the Creeslough explosion on 7 October 2022, Madigan tweeted that she hoped "they find the culprits" and, after being criticised as irresponsible and insensitive, Madigan quickly deleted the tweet.{{cite news|url=https://extra.ie/2022/10/10/news/irish-news/josepha-madigan-tweet|title=Josepha Madigan under fire over strange tweet following Creeslough tragedy|publisher=Extra.ie|first=John|last=Drennan|date=10 October 2022|access-date=10 October 2022|archive-date=10 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010110926/https://extra.ie/2022/10/10/news/irish-news/josepha-madigan-tweet|url-status=live}}

On 22 March 2024, Madigan announced that she would resign as Minister of State and would not contest the next general election.{{Cite web|last=McAuley|first=Eimer|date=22 March 2024|title=Josepha Madigan unexpectedly resigns as Junior Minister and will not stand in next election|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/fine-gael-minister-resigns-6334975-Mar2024/|access-date=22 March 2024|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en}}

{{see also|Maria Bailey#Legal claim}}

In 2019, Madigan received widespread coverage for her role in the personal injury legal claim of Fine Gael politician, Maria Bailey.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/28/fine-gael-td-provokes-widespread-scorn-after-claim-for-swing-fall|title=Voters cry foul over politician's fall from swing in Dublin bar|author=Rory Carroll|date=28 May 2019|access-date=28 July 2019|newspaper=The Guardian|quote=More details emerged. Three weeks after the fall Bailey competed in a 10km run. She hired the law firm of a government minister, Josepha Madigan, to pursue the case. The claim omitted mention of her holding bottles while on the swing.|archive-date=28 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728075741/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/28/fine-gael-td-provokes-widespread-scorn-after-claim-for-swing-fall|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/josepha-madigan-says-tds-swing-compensation-case-nothing-to-do-with-me-926668.html|title=Josepha Madigan says TD's swing compensation case 'nothing to do with me'|newspaper=Irish Examiner|author=Fiachra Ó Cionnaith|date=25 May 2019|access-date=28 July 2019|archive-date=3 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903195332/https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/josepha-madigan-says-tds-swing-compensation-case-nothing-to-do-with-me-926668.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/questions-for-madigan-as-fg-struggles-with-bailey-saga-38347989.html |title=Questions for Madigan as FG struggles with Bailey saga |author=Hugh O'Connell |date=26 July 2019 |access-date=28 July 2019 |publisher=Irish Independent |archive-date=26 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726152319/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/questions-for-madigan-as-fg-struggles-with-bailey-saga-38347989.html |url-status=live }} It was alleged that Madigan's law practice, Madigan Solicitors, advised Bailey on her claim, however, Madigan refused to make any comments on this citing client-solicitor confidentiality.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/josepha-madigan-needs-to-clarify-her-involvement-in-maria-bailey-case-says-martin-1.3965396|title=Josepha Madigan needs to clarify her involvement in Maria Bailey case, says Martin|newspaper=Irish Times|author=Jack Horgan-Jones|date=24 July 2019|access-date=28 July 2019|archive-date=24 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724043620/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/josepha-madigan-needs-to-clarify-her-involvement-in-maria-bailey-case-says-martin-1.3965396|url-status=live}} In July 2019, an internal unpublished Fine Gael probe into the affair cleared Madigan of any wrongdoing in regard to the claim.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49091254|publisher=BBC News|date=23 July 2019|access-date=28 July 2019|title=Maria Bailey: Swing fall case TD demoted by Leo Varadkar|quote=Mr Varadkar said that while Ms Madigan had given her colleague initial legal advice, the case was passed on to another member of her legal firm who told her on a number of occasions that while she had a "statable" case, a finding of contributory negligence against her was also likely.|archive-date=28 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728153305/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49091254|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/josepha-madigan-is-cleared-of-wrongdoing-in-probe-over-maria-bailey-swing-fall-case-38326694.html|title=Josepha Madigan 'is cleared of wrongdoing' in probe over Maria Bailey swing fall case|publisher=Irish Independent|date=19 July 2019|access-date=28 July 2019|archive-date=28 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728122204/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/josepha-madigan-is-cleared-of-wrongdoing-in-probe-over-maria-bailey-swing-fall-case-38326694.html|url-status=live}} In late July 2019, the Irish Independent reported that "it is now known that she advised Ms Bailey in the early stages of the claim".{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/profile-rise-from-councillor-to-cabinet-in-two-years-38350551.html|title=Profile: Rise from councillor to Cabinet in two years|newspaper=Irish Independent|author=Cormac MacQuinn|date=27 July 2019|access-date=28 July 2019|archive-date=28 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728121052/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/profile-rise-from-councillor-to-cabinet-in-two-years-38350551.html|url-status=live}} It was also reported that Madigan's firm would earn €11,500 in fees if the Maria Bailey case had been successful.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/madigans-familys-law-firm-in-line-for-11500-if-bailey-case-was-won-38350553.html|title=Madigan's family's law firm in line for €11,500 if Bailey case was won|date=27 July 2019|access-date=28 July 2019|author=Cormac McQuinn|newspaper=Irish Independent|archive-date=27 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727200458/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/madigans-familys-law-firm-in-line-for-11500-if-bailey-case-was-won-38350553.html|url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|josephamadigan.ie}}
• [https://www.finegael.ie/our-people/ministers/dublin/dublin-rathdown/josepha-madigan/ Josepha Madigan's page on the Finel Gael website]

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|ie/oi}}

{{s-bef|before = Heather Humphreys}}

{{s-ttl|title = Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

|years = 2017–2020}}

{{s-aft|after = Catherine Martin}}

{{s-new|office}}

{{s-ttl|title = Minister of State at the Department of Education

|years = 2020–2024}}

{{s-aft|after = Hildegarde Naughton}}

{{s-end}}

{{Dublin Rathdown (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}

{{31st Government of Ireland}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madigan, Josepha}}

Category:1970 births

Category:Living people

Category:Fine Gael TDs

Category:Irish solicitors

Category:Members of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Council

Category:Members of the 32nd Dáil

Category:Women government ministers of the Republic of Ireland

Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin

Category:People educated at Mount Anville Secondary School

Category:Members of the 33rd Dáil

Category:21st-century women Teachtaí Dála

Category:Ministers of State of the 33rd Dáil

Category:Women ministers of state of the Republic of Ireland

Category:Fine Gael local councillors