Niamh Smyth
{{Short description|Irish politician (born 1978)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-suffix = TD
| image = Niamh Smyth, Dec 2024 - 54193958344 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Smyth in 2024
| office = Minister of State
| suboffice = Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
| subterm = 2025–
| office1 = Chair of the Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht
| term_start1 = 15 September 2020
| term_end1 = 8 November 2024
| predecessor1 = Catherine Connolly
| successor1 = TBA
| office2 = Teachta Dála
| term_start2 = February 2016
| term_end2 =
| constituency2 = Cavan–Monaghan
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|5|5|df=y}}{{cite book|author=Tim Ryan|date=2020|title=Nealon's Guide to the 33rd Dáil and 26th Seanad and the 2019 Local and European Elections|publisher=Grand Canal Publishing}}
| birth_place = Cavan, Ireland
| death_place =
| death_date =
| party = Fianna Fáil
| spouse = {{marriage|James Conaty|2011|2018|end=sep.}}
| children = 1
| relations = Patrick Smith (granduncle)
| alma_mater = {{Ubl|NCAD|Dún Laoghaire Institute|University of Limerick}}
| website = {{URL|niamhsmyth.ie}}
|}}
Niamh Smyth (born 5 May 1978) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment since January 2025 and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency since the 2016 general election. She served as the Chair of the Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht from September 2020 until November 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03/|title=Niamh Smyth|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=5 July 2019|archive-date=5 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705160403/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Niamh-Smyth.D.2016-10-03/|url-status=live}}
Political career
She was a member of Cavan County Council from 2009 to 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=9577|title=Niamh Smyth|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=5 July 2019|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222070626/https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=9577|url-status=live}}
Smyth was elected as the first president of the Fianna Fáil women's network on 14 September 2015.{{Cite news|url=http://niamhsmyth.ie/2015/09/14/smyth-elected-president-fianna-fail-womens-network/|title=Smyth elected President of Fianna Fáil Women's Network - Niamh Smyth TD|date=14 September 2015|work=Niamh Smyth TD|access-date=12 November 2018|archive-date=13 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113025840/http://niamhsmyth.ie/2015/09/14/smyth-elected-president-fianna-fail-womens-network/|url-status=live}} In May 2016, she was appointed to the Fianna Fáil Front Bench as Spokesperson for the Arts and Heritage.{{Cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/first-time-td-niamh-smyth-fianna-f%C3%A1il-1.2994199|title=First-time TD: Niamh Smyth, Fianna Fáil|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=4 March 2017|archive-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305035215/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/first-time-td-niamh-smyth-fianna-f%C3%A1il-1.2994199|url-status=live}}
She was re-elected at the 2024 general election. On 29 January 2025, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment with special responsibility for trade promotion, artificial intelligence and digital transformation.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2025/0129/1493512-cabinet-meeting-junior-ministers/|title=Record number of junior ministers appointed at Cabinet meeting|publisher=RTÉ News|first=Paul|last=Cunningham|date=30 January 2025|accessdate=8 June 2025}}
Personal and early life
Smyth was born to Dessie and Maura Smyth. Dessie is originally from Knockbride and is a nephew of Patrick Smith, who was a founding member of Fianna Fáil and a long-serving politician.
Smyth is married to James Conaty and they have one daughter together.{{Cite news|url=http://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/11/22/4130465-baby-joy-for-deputy-niamh-smyth/|title=Baby joy for Deputy Niamh Smyth|work=Anglo Celt|access-date=4 March 2017|archive-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305113428/http://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/11/22/4130465-baby-joy-for-deputy-niamh-smyth/|url-status=live}} They have been separated since 2018.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|niamhsmyth.ie}}
- [https://www.fiannafail.ie/tds/niamh-smyth/ Niamh Smyth's page on the Fianna Fáil website]
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{{s-bef|before = Dara Calleary}}
{{s-ttl|title = Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
|years = 2025–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Current TDs}}
{{Cavan–Monaghan (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}
{{Fianna Fáil}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smyth, Niamh}}
Category:Politicians from County Cavan
Category:Members of Cavan County Council
Category:Members of the 32nd Dáil
Category:Members of the 33rd Dáil
Category:21st-century women Teachtaí Dála
Category:Fianna Fáil local councillors