Thomas Byrne is Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence at the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of Defence.
Minister Byrne previously served as Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education from December 2022 until January 2025. He also held the role of Minister of State for the Gaeltacht from April 2024 until January 2025.
Minister Byrne represents the Meath East constituency in Dáil Éireann and has served as a member of the Houses of the Oireachtas since 2007.
From July 2020 until December 2022, he served as Minister of State for European Affairs at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Minister Byrne was educated at St. Mary’s Diocesan School in Drogheda. He studied law at Trinity College, Dublin and trained as a lawyer at McCann FitzGerald, where he practised in its EU and Competition Law Department upon qualification. The Minister is a qualified Attorney-at-Law in New York State.
Thomas is married to Ann and they have 3 children together. His family are actively involved in sport locally. He is a fluent Irish speaker and is proficient in both French and Italian.
