Helen McEntee (38) first won a Dáil seat in the 2013 byelection following the death of her father, Shane McEntee.

In the last Government, she served as Minister for Justice, making her the first Cabinet minister to take maternity leave.

Prior to this, she served as Minister of State for European Affairs from June 2017 until the last election, with a particular focus on Brexit.

She has also held the position of deputy leader of Fine Gael since October, following Heather Humphreys’s decision to step down from the role.

In her justice beat, she has had a particular focus on women - advancing legislation on gender-based violence, sexual violence and sexual image-based abuse.

From Castletown, Co Meath, she graduated from DCU in 2007, having studied law, politics and economics.

She later completed a master’s in journalism and communications and worked with her father in Leinster House.