Helen McEntee

Helen McEntee (born 8 June 1986) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Justice since June 2020. Between April to November 2021 and November 2022 to June 2023, she was a minister without portfolio during two periods of maternity leave. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath East constituency since 2013. She previously served as Minister of State for European Affairs from 2017 to 2020 and Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People from 2016 to 2017.

The daughter of Shane McEntee, who was a Fine Gael politician and TD from 2005 to 2012, she was raised in Meath and studied at Dublin City University. After taking a job in industry, she worked at Leinster House as her father's assistant from 2010, until his death in 2012. She was first elected as a TD at the 2013 Meath East by-election, triggered by the death of her father, and she became the first Fine Gael candidate since 1975 to win a by-election with the party in government. She was re-elected to represent the constituency in 2016, and subsequently appointed as a Minister of State at the Department of Health. She was also chair of the government's youth mental health task force, an organisation that works to increase awareness of mental health issues among young people.

In June 2020, Helen McEntee was appointed as Minister for Justice in a coalition government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party.