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David Begg

b. 1950

Irish trade unionist

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About David Begg

Born 1950. David Begg is a trade unionist, sociologist, university teacher and economist.

Early life Begg was born in north Dublin.

Education Begg holds master's degree in international relations from DCU and a PhD in sociology from Maynooth University. He is an adjunct professor at Maynooth University Institute of Social Sciences (MUSSI). Some protestors were subsequently taken to court for false imprisonment but acquitted and subsequently charges were dropped against the remaining protestors.

On 13 January 2016 the same Tánaiste, Joan Burton, in her role as Social Protection Minister, appointed Begg as chair of the Pension Authority.

In 2022, University College Cork (UCC) were given a place on the Board of the Workplace Relations Commission when UCC HR Director Barry O'Brien was appointed to the board. In 2023, while a board member of the Workplace Relations Commission acting for UCC, O'Brien breached an employment contract and unilaterally fired the Dutch professor Wim Naude from UCC with no notice, no due process or right of appeal.

In the wake of a scandal in which a bicycle shelter at Irish government buildings cost the Irish taxpayer €336,000, a wall at the front of the Workplace Relations Commission building in Dublin was found to cost nearly half a million euros from public funds in 2022 and 2023.

In September 2025, Begg resigned from the board of the Mater Hospital while stating to Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, "you may be the health minister but you're not God."

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Important facts

Born
1950, Dublin
Birth century
Education
Dublin City University

People in David Begg's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Begg's

Frequently asked questions

Who is David Begg?

Irish trade unionist

When was David Begg born?

David Begg was born in 1950 in Dublin.

What is David Begg's occupation?

David Begg is a trade unionist, sociologist, university teacher and economist.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Begg

· Wikidata: Q16727438

· DBpedia: David Begg (trade unionist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Begg. https://biography.guide/david-begg-trade-unionist/

MLA: "David Begg." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-begg-trade-unionist/.

Chicago: "David Begg." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-begg-trade-unionist/.

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