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Helen McEntee | |
|---|---|
 McEntee in 2018 | |
| Minister for Justice | |
| Assumed office 1 June 2023 | |
| Taoiseach | |
| Preceded by | Simon Harris |
| In office 1 November 2021 – 25 November 2022 | |
| Taoiseach | Micheál Martin |
| Preceded by | Heather Humphreys |
| Succeeded by | Heather Humphreys |
| In office 27 June 2020 – 27 April 2021 | |
| Taoiseach | Micheál Martin |
| Preceded by | Charles Flanagan |
| Succeeded by | Heather Humphreys |
| Deputy leader of Fine Gael | |
| Assumed office 19 October 2024 | |
| Leader | Simon Harris |
| Preceded by | Heather Humphreys |
| Minister of State | |
| 2017–2020 | European Affairs |
| 2016–2017 | Health |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office March 2013 | |
| Constituency | Meath East |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 June 1986 Navan, County Meath, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse |
Paul Hickey (m. 2017) |
| Relations |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | St. Joseph's Secondary School |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | Personal page on Fine Gael website |
Helen McEntee (born 8 June 1986) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Justice since June 2020 and deputy leader of Fine Gael since October 2024. A Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath East constituency since 2013, she previously served as a minister of state from 2016 to 2020.
The daughter of Shane McEntee, who served as a Fine Gael TD from 2005 until 2012, she completed a degree in economics, politics, and law at Dublin City University and a master's degree in journalism and media communications at Griffith College. She began working at Leinster House in 2010 as a personal assistant to her father. Following his suicide in December 2012, she successfully contested the 2013 Meath East by-election to replace him; elected at age 26, she became the youngest female TD in the 31st Dáil. Re-elected in the 2016 general election, she served as Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health and Older People from 2016 to 2017 and as Minister of State for European Affairs from 2017 to 2020.
Following her re-election in the 2020 general election, she was appointed Minister for Justice in June 2020. She had her first child in April 2021, becoming the first cabinet member in the country's history to give birth or take maternity leave while in office. She had a second child in December 2022. Her justice portfolio was temporarily reassigned to Heather Humphreys and Simon Harris during her two six-month periods of maternity leave in 2021 and 2022–2023. Following Humphreys' decision in October 2024 not to contest the next general election, McEntee succeeded her as deputy leader of the party.
As Minister for Justice, McEntee has taken a strong stance on violence against women, pledging a zero-tolerance approach following the high-profile murder of 23-year-old teacher Ashling Murphy in January 2022. However, she has faced criticism over public safety, especially following the November 2023 Dublin riot, when she survived a vote of no confidence tabled by opposition party Sinn Féin. Her effort to introduce hate speech legislation, first announced in 2020, attracted domestic and international criticism. She has also faced criticism over her handling of issues relating to immigration and asylum seekers.