Jack Chambers (politician)

Jack Chambers (born 21 November 1990) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Government Chief Whip, Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Sport and Minister of State at the Department of Defence since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin West constituency since the 2016 general election. He previously served as Minister of State at the Department of Finance from June 2020 to July 2020.[1][2]

Jack Chambers

Government Chief Whip
Assumed office
15 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded byDara Calleary
Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Sport
Assumed office
15 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded byDara Calleary
Minister of State at the Department of Defence
Assumed office
15 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded byPaul Kehoe
Minister of State at the Department of Finance
In office
1 July 2020  15 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded byMichael W. D'Arcy
Succeeded bySeán Fleming
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyDublin West
Personal details
Born (1990-11-21) 21 November 1990
Galway, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
EducationBelvedere College
Alma mater
Websitejackchambers.ie

Early and personal life

Chambers was born in Galway in 1990, but has lived in Dublin since early childhood. He resides in the Castleknock area of west Dublin.[3][4] His father, Frank Chambers, from Newport, County Mayo, is a consultant (medicine) at the Mater Private Hospital, and was a political ally of Brian Lenihan Jnr.[3][4][5] His mother, Barbara Farragher, is from Hollymount, County Mayo.[4] He is not related to Lisa Chambers.[3] He attended Belvedere College and earned a Law and Political Science degree from Trinity College Dublin, before enrolling in medicine at RCSI, graduating in 2020 after interrupting his studies early in his political career.[6]

Political career

In 2014, Chambers reopened the constituency office closed after the death of Brian Lenihan in 2011.[7][8] He was elected to Fingal County Council in the 2014 local elections, topping the poll in the Castleknock local electoral area.[9] He was Deputy Mayor of Fingal from 2015 until vacating his council seat on election to the Dáil.[10]

In March 2018, Micheál Martin appointed Chambers as Spokesperson for Defence. On 3 May 2018, he, along with several other Fianna Fáil TDs, called for a No vote in the Irish abortion referendum.[11] He was re-elected as a TD for Dublin West following the 2020 general election. When Martin became Taoiseach, he nominated Chambers as Minister of State for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance on 1 July 2020. Two weeks later, after Barry Cowen was sacked as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin promoted Dara Calleary to replace Cowen, with Chambers succeeding Calleary as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht. Chambers said he would take an "intensive Irish language course" to prepare for the latter responsibility.[12]

References

  1. "Jack Chambers". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  2. "Jack Chambers". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  3. Dillon, Fiona (March 2016). "'I will get my hair cut when I get a chance' - Fianna Fail TD Jack Chambers on social media abuse". Irish Independent. Retrieved 8 March 2016. One of the other new Fianna Fail TDs to be elected under the age of 30 is Lisa Chambers (29) from Castlebar, but they are not directly related, even though they would both have some family roots in the town of Newport.
  4. McGreal, Edwin (1 March 2016). "Mayos lose Dáil seat elsewhere". The Mayo News. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  5. O'Halloran, Marie (15 June 2011). "Mourners told of man with nobility and honesty running through veins". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  6. Lord, Miriam (20 June 2020). "Who will get the big jobs if new coalition gets the Green light?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 July 2020. Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers didn’t complete his medical studies when his political career took off. ... However, back in March, the Dublin West TD also became a qualified medical doctor having finished off his final two exams.
  7. "Jack Chambers has defeated David McGuinness in Dublin West selection". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  8. "Jack Chambers". Jack Chambers. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  9. "Jack Chambers". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  10. "Election 2016: Jack Chambers". RTÉ. 27 February 2016.
  11. "More than half of Fianna Fáil parliamentary party backing 'no' vote in referendum - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  12. Adam, Brian (16 July 2020). "'It was clear that it was a rethink to put Jack Chambers in charge of the Gaeltacht'". In Tallaght. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
Oireachtas
Preceded by
Joan Burton from 2002
Leo Varadkar from 2007
Ruth Coppinger from 2014
Brian Lenihan Jnr to 2011
Patrick Nulty 2011–14
Joe Higgins to 2016
Teachta Dála for Dublin West
2016–present
With: Joan Burton
Leo Varadkar
Roderic O'Gorman
Incumbent
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Simon Harris
Baby of the Dáil
2016–2020
Succeeded by
James O'Connor
Political offices
Preceded by
Michael W. D'Arcy
Minister of State for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance
2020
Succeeded by
Seán Fleming
Preceded by
Dara Calleary
Government Chief Whip
2020–present
Incumbent
Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Sport
2020–present
Preceded by
Paul Kehoe
Minister of State at the Department of Defence
2020–present
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