Fine Gael’s Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is from the area and went to school in Loreto Abbey before studying at Trinity, UCD and the King’s Inns.
She is qualified both as a solicitor and barrister and has a PhD in public policy.
She joined the staff of Fine Gael as a legal adviser when the party was led by Enda Kenny and was in opposition.
She was elected to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for the Killiney-Shankill area in 2019 and won a seat in the general election the following year when Fine Gael ran three candidates and Mary Mitchell O’Connor unexpectedly lost out.
She has gained considerable prominence since then and was appointed as a Minister of State at the Department of Finance in 2022 before moving this year to the European Affairs and Defence role.
She is married to former senior Ireland rugby international, Hugo MacNeill. They have one son.
