John J. McGuinness

John McGuinness TD
McGuinness in 2006
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office June 1997
Constituency	Carlow–Kilkenny
Personal details
Born	(1955-03-15) 15 March 1955 (age 62) Kilkenny, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse(s)	Margaret Redmond
Children	Andrew, Michael, Alva, John
Website	www.johnmcguinness.ie

John J. McGuinness (born 15 March 1955) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since 1997. He served as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Trade and Commerce from June 2007 to April 2009.

McGuinness was born in Kilkenny and educated in Kilkenny Christian Brothers Secondary School. He holds a Diploma in Business Management. He is married to Margaret Redmond and they have three sons and one daughter. His eldest son Andrew is a Fianna Fáil councillor in Kilkenny city and was elected Mayor on 16 June 2014.

He first entered local politics in 1979 when he won a seat on Kilkenny Borough Council and was a subsequent Mayor of the city from 1996 to 1997. He was the third generation of his family to serve on this council. From 1991 until the abolition of the dual mandate in 2003, he was also member of Kilkenny County Council, where his father Michael McGuinness was the longest-serving councillor (1959–99).

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency at the 1997 general election. He was vice-chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the 29th Dáil and a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committees for European Affairs, Enterprise and Small Business, Justice, and Women's Rights in the 28th Dáil. In 2007 he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for Trade and Commerce. He has subsequently revealed a testy relationship with his senior minister Mary Coughlan, and considerable disagreement with policy in the department.