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Regina Doherty
Regina Doherty (née Dalton; born 26 January 1971) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who is a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Dublin constituency since the 2024 European Parliament election. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath East constituency from 2011 to 2020. She was the Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad from 2020 to 2024, serving as leader of the Seanad from 2020 to 2022 and Deputy leader of the Seanad from 2022 to 2024. She served as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection from 2017 to 2020 and Government Chief Whip from 2016 to 2017.
In 2018 Doherty completed an Advanced Diploma in Corporate, White-Collar and Regulatory Crime, Law in King's Inns. In 2020 Doherty completed a Post Graduate Fintech (Micro-credential) in Financial Innovation, Business in Dublin City University. In 2022 she obtained a masters in Ethics in Dublin City University.
Doherty was a member of the Meath County Council for the Dunshaughlin local electoral area from 2009 to 2011. She was a member of the Oireachtas committees for Health, Finance and the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement during the 31st Dáil. She was also a member of the Constitutional Convention, and was the Chairperson of the Fine Gael committee for health and children. In May 2015, following the claims of IRA involvement in the cover-up of sexual abuse by Máiría Cahill, she passed on a list of names of a number of alleged abusers within the Provisional Republican Movement to Gardaí who are investigating the issue. She was re-elected to the Dáil at the 2016 general election. She was appointed to the new Dáil reform committee on 22 March 2016. Following the formation of a Fine Gael minority government in May 2016, Doherty was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility as Government Chief Whip, in attendance at cabinet.
On 17 July 2016, it was reported in The Times that Doherty had provided a character reference to a man who had defrauded revenue. Kenneth Shanny from Dunshaughlin, County Meath had been convicted of processing incorrect VAT returns for two clients, with the intention of dividing the money recovered between them. Doherty provided references to the local district court and refused to apologise saying she "would do it again".
On 26 March 2017, it was reported that she had used taxpayer funds to pay her mother €2,150.00 for secretarial services. On 14 June 2017, she was appointed Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
In July 2017, Doherty confirmed that she had lodged a complaint with the Garda Síochána against political blogger and academic Catherine Kelly. Kelly said that she was cautioned by Gardaí about her social media posts and online articles, which referenced Regina Doherty. In the Dáil, it was stated that a U.S.-based academic experienced a "sinister and chilling experience" in an Irish airport where she was detained by gardaí and told not to tweet about Doherty or publish any material relevant to her again. In September 2017, it was revealed that she was going to repay an "unlawful" allowance of €15,800 that she received as Government Chief Whip in direct contravention of the law which states that "no allowance can be paid to a party whip if the person is a Minister or Minister of State".
In January 2018, Doherty announced the launch of the consultation process under the review of the Gender Recognition Act 2015, to further expand gender recognition to include those under 18 and non-binary people. In May 2018, Doherty participated in the Opening Plenary Session - Listening Today for Better Social Policies Tomorrow, in the OECD Policy forum in Canada.
In January 2019, Doherty briefed the Irish cabinet, warning that while her department was well fixed to pass emergency legislation to continue social welfare payments in the event of Brexit, the UK may not be. It is understood that the British Government has agreed in principle to continue all payments, although the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Amber Rudd, has been unable to guarantee that the necessary legislation will be passed by 29 March 2019. Also in January 2019, Doherty was appointed director of elections for Fine Gael for the 2019 European elections.
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Regina Doherty
Regina Doherty (née Dalton; born 26 January 1971) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who is a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Dublin constituency since the 2024 European Parliament election. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath East constituency from 2011 to 2020. She was the Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad from 2020 to 2024, serving as leader of the Seanad from 2020 to 2022 and Deputy leader of the Seanad from 2022 to 2024. She served as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection from 2017 to 2020 and Government Chief Whip from 2016 to 2017.
In 2018 Doherty completed an Advanced Diploma in Corporate, White-Collar and Regulatory Crime, Law in King's Inns. In 2020 Doherty completed a Post Graduate Fintech (Micro-credential) in Financial Innovation, Business in Dublin City University. In 2022 she obtained a masters in Ethics in Dublin City University.
Doherty was a member of the Meath County Council for the Dunshaughlin local electoral area from 2009 to 2011. She was a member of the Oireachtas committees for Health, Finance and the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement during the 31st Dáil. She was also a member of the Constitutional Convention, and was the Chairperson of the Fine Gael committee for health and children. In May 2015, following the claims of IRA involvement in the cover-up of sexual abuse by Máiría Cahill, she passed on a list of names of a number of alleged abusers within the Provisional Republican Movement to Gardaí who are investigating the issue. She was re-elected to the Dáil at the 2016 general election. She was appointed to the new Dáil reform committee on 22 March 2016. Following the formation of a Fine Gael minority government in May 2016, Doherty was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility as Government Chief Whip, in attendance at cabinet.
On 17 July 2016, it was reported in The Times that Doherty had provided a character reference to a man who had defrauded revenue. Kenneth Shanny from Dunshaughlin, County Meath had been convicted of processing incorrect VAT returns for two clients, with the intention of dividing the money recovered between them. Doherty provided references to the local district court and refused to apologise saying she "would do it again".
On 26 March 2017, it was reported that she had used taxpayer funds to pay her mother €2,150.00 for secretarial services. On 14 June 2017, she was appointed Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
In July 2017, Doherty confirmed that she had lodged a complaint with the Garda Síochána against political blogger and academic Catherine Kelly. Kelly said that she was cautioned by Gardaí about her social media posts and online articles, which referenced Regina Doherty. In the Dáil, it was stated that a U.S.-based academic experienced a "sinister and chilling experience" in an Irish airport where she was detained by gardaí and told not to tweet about Doherty or publish any material relevant to her again. In September 2017, it was revealed that she was going to repay an "unlawful" allowance of €15,800 that she received as Government Chief Whip in direct contravention of the law which states that "no allowance can be paid to a party whip if the person is a Minister or Minister of State".
In January 2018, Doherty announced the launch of the consultation process under the review of the Gender Recognition Act 2015, to further expand gender recognition to include those under 18 and non-binary people. In May 2018, Doherty participated in the Opening Plenary Session - Listening Today for Better Social Policies Tomorrow, in the OECD Policy forum in Canada.
In January 2019, Doherty briefed the Irish cabinet, warning that while her department was well fixed to pass emergency legislation to continue social welfare payments in the event of Brexit, the UK may not be. It is understood that the British Government has agreed in principle to continue all payments, although the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Amber Rudd, has been unable to guarantee that the necessary legislation will be passed by 29 March 2019. Also in January 2019, Doherty was appointed director of elections for Fine Gael for the 2019 European elections.
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