Jennifer Murnane-O'Connor

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (born 24 May 1966) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State at the Department of Health since January 2025 and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since the 2020 general election. She previously served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2016 to 2020.

Political career Murnane O'Connor first ran for the Dáil in 2011, when she polled 6% of the first preference vote in Carlow–Kilkenny for Fianna Fáil. She did not run in the 2015 by-election in the constituency, but was chosen to contest the 2016 general election as the County Carlow–based candidate on a Fianna Fáil ticket that also featured sitting TDs John McGuinness and Bobby Aylward (who won the 2015 by-election). Murnane O'Connor polled 12% of the first preference vote but was not elected. She received 8,373 votes, the highest number of votes for a non-elected candidate at that election.

She was elected as a senator on the Labour Panel in the 25th Seanad in April 2016. She was the Fianna Fáil Seanad Spokesperson on Housing, Planning and Local Government from 2016 to 2020.

At the 2020 general election, she was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow–Kilkenny.

At the 2024 general election, Murnane O'Connor was re-elected to the Dáil. On 29 January 2025, shortly after the formation of a new government led by Micheál Martin, she was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for public health, well-being and drugs.

Personal life

Murnane O'Connor was born in Waterford in 1966, but is a native of Graiguecullen, County Carlow. She is the daughter of former Carlow County Councillor Jimmy Murnane, who served on the local council for several years. She was co-opted to Carlow Urban District Council in 1999, following her father's retirement. She topped the polls for both for the Urban and County Council at the following elections.

Prior to her election as a TD, she worked in Graham's, a shoe shop in Carlow. She married Pat O'Connor in 1985. They have two sons and two daughters.