Dinny McGinley

Denis "Dinny" McGinley (born 27 April 1945) is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal South-West constituency since February 1982. He served as Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs from March 2011 to July 2014.

McGinley was born and brought up in Gweedore, County Donegal, a Gaeltacht area where he still resides. He was educated at Coláiste Íosagáin, Ballyvourney, County Cork; St Patrick's College of Education, Dublin and University College Dublin where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. He worked as a teacher and principal at Scoil Chonaill at Bunbeg, Gweedore, before entering into politics.

McGinley was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the February 1982 general election. During this time he has held a number of Front Bench positions within the party, including spokesman on Youth Affairs (1987–88), the Gaeltacht (1988–91), the Gaeltacht and Emigrant Welfare (1991–94), Youth Affairs (1994), Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (2001–02), Defence (2002–04) and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (2004–07).

McGinley was Chairman of An Comhchoiste don Ghaeilge (Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language) from 1995 to 1997. He is a former member of the Joint Oireachtas Committees on Social Affairs and on Small Business and is a member of the British Irish Parliamentary Body since 1993.

In June 2006, he announced his intention to retire at the 2007 general election, but announced in February 2007 that he had changed his mind and would stand as he stood a better chance of being elected than the selected candidate. He was re-elected at the 2007 general election, and again at the 2011 general election.

He was appointed Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs by Taoiseach Enda Kenny on 10 March 2011. He was dropped as a Minister of State in a reshuffle in July 2014. Shortly afterwards, he announced that he would not contest the 2016 general election.