Alan Kelly

In 2020, Kelly was re-elected to represent the Tipperary constituency during the February general election, obtaining 13,222 first preference votes (9.6%) and thus securing the fourth of five available seats. He was publicly backed by women's health campaigner Vicky Phelan during the election. As of 2020, Kelly was Labour's spokesperson on health.

After Brendan Howlin's intention to stand down as party leader following the 2020 general election, Kelly was nominated by two of the party's six TDs; Seán Sherlock and Duncan Smith. Kelly was also publicly supported by former Labour TDs Jan O'Sullivan and Willie Penrose. Launching his election bid, Kelly said that a complete rebuild of the Labour Party was needed. On 3 April 2020, he was announced as the new leader of the Labour Party, having won 55% of the vote.

In August 2018, Kelly challenged incumbent Brendan Howlin for his party's leadership. His challenge failed due to lack of support from his parliamentary colleagues.

In September 2017, Kelly called for the HPV vaccine to be given to all schoolboys in Ireland. The vaccine's roll-out among Irish girls had recently been subject to news coverage following controversy over its alleged side effects.

Following the election, Kelly remained Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in an acting capacity during prolonged talks on government formation. On Sunday 24 April 2016, he represented the government at the official U.S. commemoration of the Centenary of the Easter Rising in Manhattan, New York.

Shortly afterward, on Friday 13 May 2016, Kelly announced his intention to seek leadership of the Labour Party. However, he failed to attract a nomination from his parliamentary colleagues, resulting in the unopposed appointment of Brendan Howlin as the new leader. Grassroots efforts to put pressure on members of the parliamentary party were unsuccessful. The parliamentary party also decided not to nominate any candidates for the position of deputy leader, leaving Kelly's previous position vacant.

His involvement in Irish Water was extremely controversial during his tenure as minister. Brendan Ogle of Right2Change called his comments on water 'arrogant', with Ruth Coppinger T.D describing some his remarks as 'delusional and unbelievably arrogant'. Paul Murphy TD described plans to take water charges from wages was a 'bullying tactic'. Jonathan O'Brien TD described him as 'arrogant Alan' in September 2015.

He previously served as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and Deputy leader of the Labour Party from 2014 to 2016 and Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport from 2011 to 2014. He was a Member of the European Parliament for the South constituency from 2009 to 2011 and a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2007 to 2009.

In May 2014, Kelly confirmed that he would be contesting the vote for a new deputy leader of the Labour Party following the resignation of Eamon Gilmore as party leader. He was elected as deputy leader of the Labour Party on 4 July 2014. On 11 July 2014, he was appointed Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government. In January 2015, it was announced that his leader Joan Burton had nominated Kelly for the roles of Labour's director of elections and chair of Labour's national campaign committee ahead of the upcoming general election.

Though he promised he would see out his five-year term in the European Parliament, Kelly allowed his name to go forward as a Labour Party candidate at the 2011 general election. He ran in the Tipperary North constituency and was successful, receiving 9,559 first preference votes (19.8%) and securing the third and final seat at the expense of Fianna Fáil's sitting TD, Máire Hoctor. Phil Prendergast replaced him as MEP for the South constituency.

Kelly was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the South constituency, at the 2009 European Parliament election, taking the last seat in a tight battle between him, Sinn Féin's Toireasa Ferris and the Independent Kathy Sinnott. Kelly was a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.

In 2007, Kelly launched his own political career when he secured election to Seanad Éireann by the Agricultural Panel. He was the only Labour Party candidate in that grouping. After the election of Eamon Gilmore as leader of the Labour Party in 2007, Kelly was appointed as Labour Party Spokesperson on Tourism and was Seanad Spokesperson on Finance and Local Government.

Kelly became Chair of Labour Youth in 2000, having previously served as Co-Chair. In 2001 he was a member of the General Council. In 2001 and 2002 he was director of the Tom Johnson Summer School and was also a member of the General Election Planning Committee in the period 2001-2002.

Kelly is from Portroe just outside Nenagh, County Tipperary. He is the son of Tom and Nan Kelly. Educated at Nenagh CBS, he subsequently attended University College Cork (UCC), where he completed a BA in English and History in 1995. Two years later he completed a M.Phil in Political History. Kelly continued his education at Boston College, where he achieved a Certificate in Leadership in 1999. He returned to Ireland shortly after this and completed a MBS in eCommerce in 2002. Kelly subsequently worked as an eBusiness Manager with Bord Fáilte and Fáilte Ireland.

Kelly is thought to have been politicised from an early age. In his final year of secondary school, he canvassed for the Labour Party during the 1992 general election. He remained active in left-wing politics in university, firstly by establishing the Jim Kemmy Branch of the Labour Party in UCC. He then became involved in a number of by-elections, local election campaigns in Cork and in the wider Munster area.

Alan Kelly (born 13 July 1975) is an Irish politician who has been the leader of the Labour Party since April 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary constituency since the 2016 general election.

Kelly is the author of A Political History of County Tipperary 1916-1997 and has won numerous rugby and hurling medals according to his Labour Party summary.