27 Facts About Ivan Yates

Ivan Yates was born on 23 October 1959 and is an Irish broadcaster, businessman and former politician.

Ivan Yates was elected as a Fine Gael Teachta Dala for the Wexford constituency at the 1981 general election and at each election until his retirement from politics in 2002.

Ivan Yates served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry from 1994 to 1997.

Since 2009, Yates has been active as a political commentator.

Ivan Yates was educated at Aravon School, Bray; St Columba's Church of Ireland College in Rathfarnham, Dublin; and Gurteen College, County Tipperary.

Ivan Yates first gained political office in 1978 at the age of 18 when he secured a seat on Enniscorthy Urban Council as a member of Fine Gael, capturing the post by just 13 votes.

When he was first elected to the Dail in 1981, Ivan Yates was the youngest member of the 22nd Dail and is the fifth-youngest ever member of Dail Eireann at the age of 21.

Ivan Yates became involved in local politics when he became a member of Wexford County Council, serving until 1995 and again from 1999 to 2004.

Ivan Yates joined the Fine Gael front bench in 1988 and was appointed Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when the party came to power in 1994.

Ivan Yates had to deal with a sharp rise in the number of BSE cases during 1996, and the consequent banning of Irish beef by Russia.

When John Bruton resigned as leader of Fine Gael in January 2001, there was much speculation that Ivan Yates would be a contender for the vacant position.

Ivan Yates was the chairman and managing director of Celtic Bookmakers, an Irish chain of betting shops, and expanded the company from its Wexford base to a chain of 64 shops around the country at its peak.

Ivan Yates headed a group of bookmakers in a court case against the British Horseracing Board over fees for licences to access a racing information database in 2005.

In September 2013, it was announced that Ivan Yates was discharged from bankruptcy, having fulfilled the requirements set down by Swansea County Court, where he made his application for personal insolvency on 24 August 2012.

Ivan Yates co-presented the Newstalk breakfast show from 2009, firstly with Claire Byrne and subsequently with Chris Donoghue.

Ivan Yates presented Tonight with Vincent Browne on TV3 during summer 2011.

Ivan Yates returned to Newstalk in September 2013, co-presenting the breakfast show with Chris Donoghue.

Ivan Yates is a regular conference speaker, motivational speaker and MC at business events in Ireland.

Ivan Yates is a client of Noel Kelly, of NK Management.

Ivan Yates co-hosted The Tonight Show on TV3 and presented The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk until his retirement from broadcasting in July 2020.

Heaney suggested that Ivan Yates is more interested in challenging political orthodoxy in Ireland than being an ideologue.

Ivan Yates was considered to be apart the emerging Liberal wing of the party which was being spearheaded by Garrett FitzGerald.

In 2025 Ivan Yates identifies as centre-right and has stated that Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher are his ideological guiding lights.

Ivan Yates stated he is supportive to the American Republican Party and Donald Trump, although he disagreed with Trump's economic policies such as the use of tariffs.

Detached from Irish nationalism, Ivan Yates has quipped that he is "rightly condemned as West British" and doesn't care for Irish republicanism.

In 2024 Ivan Yates stated he has no interest in learning the Irish language and felt too many resources are spent by the Irish state towards the upkeep of the language.

Ivan Yates is married to Deirdre ; together they have 3 children.