Ged Nash

Gerald Henry Nash (born 7 December 1975) is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Louth constituency since 2020, and previously from 2011 to 2016. He previously served as Minister of State for Business and Employment from 2014 to 2016. He was a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2016 to 2020.

Ged Nash TD
Minister of State for Business and Employment
In office 14 July 2014 – 6 May 2016
Taoiseach	Enda Kenny
Preceded by	Dara Calleary (2011)
Succeeded by	Pat Breen
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office February 2020
In office February 2011 – February 2016
Constituency	Louth
Senator
In office 27 April 2016 – 10 February 2020
Constituency	Labour Panel
Personal details
Born	Gerald Henry Nash 7 December 1975 Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Labour Party
Alma mater	University College Dublin

Early life

Nash was born on 7 December 1975. He attended St. Joseph's CBS, Drogheda and graduated with an Hons. BA in Politics & History from University College Dublin. He was a former PR consultant to the trade unions and the not-for-profit sector. He was a former manager of the Upstate Theatre Project company in Drogheda and was a former teacher in St. Oliver's Community College in Drogheda.[1]

Political career

Councillor and Mayor

Nash was a member of Louth County Council for the Drogheda local electoral area from 2000 to 2011, and a member of Drogheda Town Council from 1999 to 2011.[2] He served as mayor of Drogheda from 2004 to 2005.[3][2] He served as Mayor of Drogheda from 2004 to 2005.[3]

Dáil Éireann

He was elected as a Labour Party TD for the Louth constituency at the 2011 general election.[4][5] He lost his seat at the 2016 general election.[2]

Nash was re-elected to the Dáil following the 2020 general election.[6]

After Brendan Howlin announced his intention to step down as leader of the Labour Party, Nash was considered a potential candidate for the party leadership race.[7] However, he ruled himself out shortly afterwards, saying "There is a responsibility on my local Dáil colleagues and I to work night and day both locally and nationally to fix them. This is where my immediate focus must lie".[7] Nash nominated Aodhán Ó Ríordáin for the position of leader.[8]

Minister of State

In July 2014, he was appointed as Minister of State for Business and Employment, with responsibility for small and medium business, collective bargaining and low pay commission at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.[9] He was also made a Super Junior Minister, which meant he attended cabinet meetings but did not have a vote.

While a Minister of State, Nash commissioned the first major independent study of zero and low hour contracts in the Irish labour market. The research was carried out by the University of Limerick and published in November 2015.[10] At the time Nash, himself a former National Secretary of Labour Youth, praised the "vocal campaign" run by his party's youth wing on the issue of zero hour contracts.

Seanad Éireann

In April 2016, Nash was elected to Seanad Éireann as a Senator for the Labour Panel. Party leader Brendan Howlin subsequently appointed him as Labour Party Spokesperson on Equality, and Labour Affairs and Workers Rights. Nash is currently party Spokesperson on Employment and Social Protection.

Nash put forward a bill in 2019 which aimed to provide greater protection for low paid workers, reform Joint Labour Committees and give the Labour Court the ability to set rates of pay above the minimum wage in low paid sectors of the economy.[11]

Personal life

Nash is a director of Drogheda Youth Development, the Calipo Theatre and Picture Company, a Member of Board of the Droichead Arts Centre, a member of Drogheda Rotary Club and a former member of Louth VEC.[1]

Nash suffers from Crohn's disease, and has spoken about being bullied as a teenager for it.[5]

References

1. Party, The Labour (2015-11-05). "Senator Ged Nash TD - Biography". The Labour Party. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
2. "Gerald Nash". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
3. "Gerald Nash". Labour Party. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
4. "Gerald Nash". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
5. "Labour TD Gerald Nash recalls being bullied after diagnosis of Crohn's disease". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
6. "Louth results:Labour's Ged Nash wins back seat lost in 2016". Irish Times. 9 February 2020.
7. McNeice, Stephen. "Labour's Ged Nash rules himself out of party leadership race".
8. Hurley, Sandra. "Ó Ríordáin launches bid for leadership of Labour Party". RTE.ie.
9. "No changes for Noonan and Howlin in reshuffle". RTÉ News. 11 July 2014.
10. "Minister Nash publishes Government commissioned report on Zero Hour Contracts by University of Limerick". Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. 3 November 2015.
11. Kenny, Aisling. "Bill aims to reform how wages are set in low paid sectors". RTE.ie.

External links

• Gerald Nash's page on the Labour Party website