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Barry CowenMEP
Cowen in 2020
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 July 2024
Constituency	Midlands–North-West
Teachta Dála
In office February 2020 – 17 July 2024
In office February 2011 – February 2016
Constituency	Laois–Offaly
In office February 2016 – February 2020
Constituency	Offaly
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
In office 27 June 2020 – 14 July 2020
Taoiseach	Micheál Martin
Preceded by	Michael Creed
Succeeded by	Micheál Martin (acting)
Personal details
Born	(1967-08-28) 28 August 1967 (age 57) Clara, County Offaly, Ireland
Political party	Ireland: Fianna Fáil EU: Renew Europe
Spouse	Mary Cowen ​(m. 1995)​
Children	4
Parent	Bernard Cowen (father)
Relatives	Brian Cowen (brother)
Education	Cistercian College, Roscrea
Alma mater	University College Galway

Barry Cowen (born 28 August 1967) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Midlands–North-West constituency since July 2024. He previously served as a Teachta Dála (TD) representing Laois–Offaly from 2011 to 2016, Offaly from 2016 to 2020, and Laois–Offaly again from 2020 to 2024. He served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine from June to July 2020.

Early life

His father Bernard Cowen was a TD, Senator and Minister of State. His grandfather Christy Cowen was an Offaly County Councillor and a member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive. He is the brother of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

He is married with four children and is a full-time politician.

Political career

He was a member of Offaly County Council for the Tullamore local electoral area from 1991 to 2011. He was elected to the 31st Dáil at the 2011 general election for Laois–Offaly, succeeding his brother Brian.

He has served in various Fianna Fáil Front Bench roles such as Social Protection from 2011 to 2012, spokesperson for Housing, Planning and Local Government from 2012 to 2018 and spokesperson for Public Expenditure and Reform from 2018 to 2020.

He represented Fianna Fáil in talks on government formation in 2016 and 2020.

In July 2020, it emerged that Cowen had a conviction for drink driving. Cowen was fined €200 and was disqualified from driving for three months. The incident occurred in September 2016, after an All-Ireland football final between Dublin and Mayo. Cowen apologised for his "serious lapse of judgement". The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was asked by the Gardaí to investigate the alleged leaking of information concerning Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen's drink driving arrest. Cowen accused gardaí of criminality for leaking allegations that he attempted to evade a garda checkpoint before he was caught drink driving. Cowen admitted receiving a ban for drink drinking but denied attempting to evade gardaí. He issued a statement that the garda record was "incorrect" and suggested he would take legal action against the Sunday Times, which first reported the story. Cowen said that the leaks were a flagrant breach of criminal law and “my rights under data protection law” and that they were an "attempt to cause me the maximum personal and political harm." Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne has denied that it was he who leaked news of Cowen's ban to the press. Eamon Dooley, a long serving Fianna Fáil member of Offaly County Council, claimed that a party member with a "grudge" leaked it to the media.

On 14 July 2020, after he refused to resign the role of Minister for Agriculture, Cowen was sacked by Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, due to the controversy surrounding his conviction for drink driving. In November 2020, it was reported that a barrister was to be questioned by GSOC in relation to the leak. In 2021, GSOC searched a Garda station in Munster in relation to the leak.

In July 2021, Cowen called on Fianna Fáil to form a new "modern centre-left" alliance with the Labour Party for the next election.

In March 2023, political news website The Ditch reported that Cowen had failed to declare rental income from 32 acres of farmland, in breach of Standards in Public Office Commission rules. Cowen subsequently confirmed that he intended to correct his declaration to the Dáil Register of Interests.

In 2023 he opposed extending the eviction ban put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing an extension to "making sweets free for children". These comments caused controversy and he subsequently apologised for the remarks.

In 2024, Cowen won the Fianna Fáil nomination to stand in the 2024 European Parliament election in the Midlands–North-West constituency, defeating senators Niall Blaney and Lisa Chambers at the selection convention. Blaney and Chambers were both added to the Fianna Fáil election ticket later. Cowen was elected to the second of five seats in the constituency. He took office on 17 July 2024.

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

References

1. Collins, Stephen (2011). Nealon's Guide to the 31st Dáil and 24th Seanad. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 135. ISBN 9780717150595.
2. ^ "Barry Cowen". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 1 March 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
3. "Barry Cowen". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
4. "Barry Cowen". Fianna Fáil website. Archived from the original on 29 November 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
5. "Barry Cowen slams Fine Gael's 'colossal overspends' in private briefing to Fianna Fáil". Irish Independent. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
6. McGee, Harry (12 March 2016). "Fianna Fáil's negotiating team for government talks revealed". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
7. Sheahan, Fionnán (3 July 2020). "Revealed: Cabinet minister's drink-driving ban". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
8. "Barry Cowen to give statement in the Dáil tomorrow about drink-driving ban". The Journal. 6 July 2020. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
9. "Garda Ombudsman asked to investigate Barry Cowen leaks". Irish Times.
10. Hosford, Paul (13 July 2020). "Thomas Byrne denies leaking Barry Cowen drink-driving ban to press". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
11. Keegan, Gearoid (7 July 2020). "Fianna Fail member with 'grudge' blamed for Barry Cowen leak". Offaly Express. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
12. Lehane, Mícheál (14 July 2020). "Barry Cowen sacked as Minister for Agriculture". RTE.ie. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
13. "Taoiseach says door open for both Barry Cowen and Dara Calleary to return to Cabinet". independent. 7 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
14. "Barrister will be questioned over Barry Cowen controversy". independent. 15 November 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
15. "GSOC Searches Munster Garda Station Relating To Barry Cowen Leak". Midlands 103. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
16. Brennan, Michael. "Barry Cowen calls for 'modern centre-left' alliance with Labour". Business Post. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
17. "Landlord Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen admits he doesn't declare rental income from 32 acres of farmland". 30 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
18. "Cowen to change Dáil declaration to acknowledge 'landlord' role over farmland". The Irish Times. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
19. "'It was an analogy' – Barry Cowen on comparing extending eviction ban to 'making sweets free for children'". Irish Independent.
20. "Barry Cowen narrowly selected as Fianna Fáil European election candidate in keenly contested convention". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
21. "Nominations for European Election". Returning Officer for County Galway. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
22. "All Irish MEPs elected as count closes in Midlands-North-West". RTÉ News. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
23. Cunningham, Paul (17 June 2024). "The loopholes to avoiding four by-elections". RTÉ News.

External links

• Barry Cowen's page on the Fianna Fáil website
• Personal profile of Barry Cowen in the European Parliament's database of members

• 1967 births
• Living people
• Alumni of the University of Galway
• Cowen family
• Fianna Fáil TDs
• Irish auctioneers
• Members of Offaly County Council
• Members of the 31st Dáil
• Members of the 32nd Dáil
• Members of the 33rd Dáil
• People from Tullamore, County Offaly
• Politicians from County Offaly
• Ministers for agriculture of Ireland
• People from Clara, County Offaly
• MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 2024–2029
• Fianna Fáil MEPs
• Fianna Fáil local councillors
• People educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea