John Deasy

John Deasy (born 8 October 1967) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Waterford constituency from 2002 to 2020.

Early and personal life Deasy was brought up in Stradbally and Dungarvan, County Waterford. He was educated at Coláiste na Rinne, An Rinn, County Waterford, and at St. Augustine's College in Dungarvan. Deasy studied at Mercyhurst College, Erie, Pennsylvania,

Political career In 1999, he embarked on a political career and was elected to Waterford County Council and Dungarvan Town Council. At the 2002 general election, he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the first time, succeeding his father, former Minister for Agriculture Austin Deasy, who was retiring. He was appointed Spokesperson for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, by the new leader, Enda Kenny. He was sacked from the Fine Gael front bench in 2004, for smoking tobacco in the members bar at Leinster House, the seat of the Irish Parliament, just days after a nationwide ban on smoking in the workplace had come into effect. In October 2004, he failed to return to the front bench in the reshuffle, but was appointed Chairman of the Dáil European Union Affairs Committee.

In January 2007, he announced his intention to challenge Enda Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael should the party fail to enter government after the 2007 election. Fine Gael did not enter government, nor did Deasy carry out his challenge. He served as party Deputy Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, with special responsibility for Overseas Development Aid from 2007 to 2010. Having topped the poll in Waterford at the 2011 election, he was vice-chair of the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts. In June 2019, the Fine Gael organisation in Waterford constituency passed a motion of no confidence in Deasy, supporting his longtime rival Paudie Coffey.