Joe McHugh

Joe McHugh (born 16 July 1971) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician from Carrigart, County Donegal. A Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal North-East constituency from 2007 to 2016 and the Donegal constituency from 2016 to 2024, he served as Minister of State from 2014 to 2018, including as Government Chief Whip from 2017 to 2018. He served as Minister for Education and Skills from October 2018 until June 2020. He chaired the Committee on European Union Affairs from 2020 to 2024.

McHugh graduated from Maynooth University, receiving a degree in economics and sociology in 1992 and a higher diploma in education in 1993. After working as a secondary school teacher in Letterkenny and Dubai, he became a youth worker in Letterkenny. He began his political career after winning a seat on Donegal County Council in the 1999 local elections; he was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann in 2002 as a senator for the Administrative Panel. In July 2005, he married Olwyn Enright, then a Fine Gael TD for Laois–Offaly. McHugh won a seat in Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election, while Enright retained her seat, making them the third married couple to serve in the same Dáil.

In 2014, McHugh became Minister of State with responsibility for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources, although his appointment attracted criticism due to his basic knowledge of the Irish language. A 2015 RTÉ Radio 1 documentary, Fine Gaeilgeoir, followed his efforts to improve his language skills. Appointed Minister for Education and Skills in October 2018 by then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, he oversaw the closure of schools and the cancellation of the 2020 Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the formation of a new government in June 2020, he was not reappointed to cabinet and declined an appointment as Minister of State.

In May 2022, McHugh announced that he would not stand at the next general election, saying he wished to spend more time with his family. In July 2022, he resigned the Fine Gael party whip to vote for an opposition bill on the defective block crisis; he continued as an independent TD until the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil in November 2024. Following McHugh's retirement from politics, Fine Gael ran two candidates in Donegal at the 2024 general election, but failed to have a candidate elected in the county for the first time since the 1930s. In 2025, McHugh published a book, Beidh Tú Alright: An Irish Language Journey, detailing his efforts to master the Irish language as an adult.