Joe Costello T.D.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for Trade and Development

Minister Joe Costello T.D. was first elected to Seanad Éireann (the Senate, or upper chamber of the Irish Parliament) in 1989. He served in the Seanad until 1992 when he was elected to Dáil Eireann (the House of Representatives, or lower chamber of the Irish Parliament). He served in the Dáil until 1997 and was then reelected to Seanad Eireann. He served as Leader of the Labour Seanad Group from 1997 to 2002. The Minister was reelected to Dáil Eireann in 2002 and has been elected to the Dáil in every subsequent election.

The Minister served as the Representative on the British Irish Parliamentary Body from 1997 to 2007 and was Chairperson of Labour's Policy Development Commission from 1995 to 2002. The Minister was an elected member of from 1991 to 2003. While a Councillor, the Minister served the people of Dublin as Deputy Lord Mayor from 1991 to 1992.

Minister Costello has been the Labour Party Spokesperson on Education, Justice, Defense, European Affairs, Human Rights and Transport.

Prior to his Ministerial appointment, Minister Costello served as Chairperson of the Dáil Committee of European Union Affairs. The Minister has also served as Chairperson of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) Joint Committee on European Affairs.

The Minister is a Former Member of Dáil Committee on Justice, Equality, Women’s Rights and Defense; the Oireachtas Sub-Committee of the Barron Report on the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings of 1974; the Oireachtas Joint Committee on EU Scrutiny; the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Irelands future in the European Union; and the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on the Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs.

The Minister is a former Secondary School teacher and former President of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland and a former Vice-Chair of Amnesty International.

The Minister was educated in Summerhill College, Sligo; Maynooth College; and University College, Dublin. He is married to Emer Costello, who is a Member of the .