Éamon Ó Cuív TD

Éamon Ó Cuív has served in the Oireachtas since 1989. He was first elected to Seanad Éireann on the Cultural and Educational panel. He was elected to Dáil Éireann in 1992 and has represented the constituency of Galway West since then winning re-election in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2011 and 2016.

He has a lifelong interest in and commitment to the Irish language and has championed its development throughout his adult life.

He was Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands from 1997 to 2001 and at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development from 2001 to 2002. He was Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs from 2002 to 2010 and Minister for Social Protection from 2010 to 2011.

He was also a Fianna Fáil delegate on the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation (1994-1997) which was established following the Downing Street Declaration in 1993. This sparked a continuing interest and involvement in issues relating to reconciliation on the island of Ireland. He has been particularly involved in issues relating to prisoners. He has also developed numerous cross-community contacts and is firmly convinced that the only way forward is through a deep and open dialogue between all of the people living on the island of Ireland and between the Irish and British people and their governments.

He was nominated by the Oireachtas to be a member of the Ministerial Moore Street Advisory Group that is advising the Minister of the historic protection and development of the Moore Street – O’Connell Street area which contains the battle site of the last battle fought by the GPO garrison in 1916.

Éamon is a grandson of former Uachtaráin na hÉireann, Éamon de Valera (1882-1975) and the son of Professor Brian Ó Cuív, who was Dean of Celtic Studies at UCD and Emer de Valera Uí Chuív.

You can read more about Éamon by visiting his website here.