30 Facts About Paschal Donohoe

Paschal Donohoe was born on 19 September 1974 and is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform since December 2022 and President of the Eurogroup since July 2020.

Paschal Donohoe has been a Teachta Dala for the Dublin Central constituency since 2011.

Paschal Donohoe served as Minister for Finance of Ireland from 2017 to 2022, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform from 2016 to 2020, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport from 2014 to 2016 and Minister of State for European Affairs from 2013 to 2014.

Paschal Donohoe is the son of a Stena Line employee who worked renting marquees and tents.

Paschal Donohoe was educated at St Declan's CBS in Cabra, before receiving a scholarship to Trinity College Dublin.

Paschal Donohoe studied Politics and Economics as part of the Business, Economics and Social Science programme and graduated with a first-class honours degree in 1996.

Paschal Donohoe served as Secretary of the University Philosophical Society, a debating and paper-reading society.

Paschal Donohoe spent six years working in the United Kingdom and became a sales and marketing director.

Paschal Donohoe was first elected to Dublin City Council in 2004, for the Cabra-Glasnevin local electoral area.

Paschal Donohoe was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2007 general election in the Dublin Central constituency, but was elected to Seanad Eireann as a Senator for the Administrative Panel in July 2007.

Paschal Donohoe was appointed in October 2007, as Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Transport and the Marine.

Paschal Donohoe was a member of the Joint Oireachtas committee on Transport and the Joint Oireachtas committee on European Affairs.

Paschal Donohoe was appointed Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Ireland's Future in Europe, by Enda Kenny, in October 2008.

Paschal Donohoe topped the poll at the 2011 general election and was elected on the 2nd count.

On 11 July 2014, Paschal Donohoe was promoted to the cabinet, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, a position he held until 6 May 2016.

Paschal Donohoe was appointed Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, following the formation of a Fine Gael minority government in May 2016.

Hopes of a budget splurge were quashed after Paschal Donohoe signalled Brexit and other world events would have "seismic consequences" on Ireland.

Paschal Donohoe formed part of the Government's negotiating team following the 2016 general election.

On 10 October 2017, Paschal Donohoe presented his first budget as Minister for Finance.

Paschal Donohoe presided over the public finance during a time when a budget surplus was recorded for the first time since the financial crisis, marking a significant achievement for the Government.

In both of his budgets as Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe made decisions to increase taxes in order to allow for increased spending.

Paschal Donohoe is an opponent of the European Commission's Digital Services Tax, instead favouring a more globalised approach to the matter through the work of the OECD.

Paschal Donohoe attended the Davos World Economic Forum in 2018 and 2019.

On 17 December 2022, after Leo Varadkar succeeded as Taoiseach in a rotation agreement with Micheal Martin, Paschal Donohoe was appointed as Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, while Michael McGrath was appointed as Minister for Finance.

In January 2023, the Phoenix Magazine and the Irish Examiner revealed that Paschal Donohoe failed to properly declare a donation of services from a company in 2016.

The controversy intensified on 20 January when Paschal Donohoe identified a new issue over expenses from the 2020 general election.

On 9 July 2020, Paschal Donohoe was elected as President of the Eurogroup, succeeding Mario Centeno, taking office on 13 July 2020.

Paschal Donohoe is considered to have performed well as President of the Eurogroup by his European peers.

On 5 December 2022, Paschal Donohoe was re-elected as President of the Eurogroup, beginning his second term on 13 January 2023.

Paschal Donohoe regularly writes book reviews for The Irish Times, as well as for other publications.