Tom Hayes (Irish politician)

Tom Hayes (born 16 February 1952) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety from 2013 to 2016. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary South constituency from 2001 to 2016. He was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1997 to 2001.
Hayes was educated at Mount Melleray College, Waterford, and Tipperaray Vocational School.
He was elected in 1997, to the 21st Seanad for the Agricultural Panel. He was Fine Gael's Seanad Spokesperson on Agriculture. He was elected on 30 June 2001, to the 28th Dáil, as a TD for Tipperary South, when he held the seat for Fine Gael in a by-election following the death of Theresa Ahearn. He was re-elected at the 2002, 2007 and 2011 general elections.
Hayes served as Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party from September 2002 to March 2010. He was party deputy Spokesperson on Transport, with responsibility for Road Safety from October 2010 to March 2011.
On 5 June 2013, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety.
He lost his seat at the 2016 general election.
References.
 