
Irish Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail and 2015-2016 European Young Leader (EYL40)
Since summer 2020, Damien has been Ireland’s Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail. He previously served as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation. He was first elected in 2002, at the age of just 24, when he was appointed Fine Gael’s Deputy Spokesperson for Arts, Sport and Tourism. He then became Deputy Spokesperson for Justice and Community Affairs and a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. He has also served as Deputy Spokesperson for Enterprise and Finance.