James Browne TD

James Browne TD is the Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice. James was appointed to this role in September 2020.

James was elected to Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament) in the February 2016 general election as a representative for Wexford and re-elected in the 2020 general election.

In his current role as Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James has responsibilities for transposing EU measures, reform of licensing and regulation of gambling in Ireland, reform of defamation law, youth justice, and firearms. In addition to these responsibilities, James also promotes the work of forums set up to address anti-social behaviour and rural safety

He has served as the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Mental Health, leading initiatives to reform mental health services in Ireland, including the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2018 and served on the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Healthcare.

James was born in Enniscorthy, Wexford, and is the oldest of a family of four. He was educated locally at St. Mary’s CBS, Enniscorthy before attending Waterford IT, University College Cork and the King’s Inns. He was called to the Bar in 2006. James practiced as a barrister for 14 years before becoming a Minister of State in the Department of Justice.