Ivan Yates facts for kids

Ivan Yates (born 23 October 1959) is an Irish broadcaster, businessman, and former politician. He was a member of the Dáil Éireann, Ireland's main parliament, representing the Wexford area. He was first elected in 1981 and served until 2002. He also worked as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry from 1994 to 1997.

Early Life and Education

Ivan Yates was born in Enniscorthy, a town in County Wexford, Ireland. He went to several schools, including St. Columba's Church of Ireland College in Dublin. He also studied at Gurteen College in County Tipperary.

Political Journey

When Ivan Yates was first elected in 1981, he was only 21 years old. This made him the youngest member of the 22nd Dáil at that time. He was also one of the youngest people ever to become a member of Dáil Éireann.

Before joining the national parliament, he was involved in local government. He served as a member of Wexford County Council for many years. In 1988, he joined the main team of his political party, Fine Gael.

In 1994, when his party came into power, he was chosen to be the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry. This was a challenging time for farming in Ireland. He worked to help farmers when prices for their products dropped. He also stopped the export of live animals for a while due to concerns about animal welfare.

During his time as Minister, there was a rise in cases of BSE, also known as "mad cow disease." This led to Russia banning Irish beef for a period. In 2001, Ivan Yates decided to leave full-time politics. He wanted to focus more on his family and his business interests. He did not run in the next general election.

Business Ventures

Ivan Yates was the head of Celtic Bookmakers, a chain of betting shops in Ireland. He helped the company grow from its start in Wexford to having 64 shops across the country. However, in 2011, the company faced financial difficulties.

He also led a group of bookmakers in a court case in 2005. They were challenging fees for using a horse racing information database. The issue was settled, and the bookmakers received a payment.

In 2011, he spoke about the challenges of the bankruptcy process in Ireland. He considered moving to the UK to use their bankruptcy system. In 2012, a court in Dublin dismissed an attempt to declare him bankrupt. In September 2013, it was announced that he was officially cleared of his financial challenges.

Media Roles

Ivan Yates also had a successful career in media. From 2009, he co-hosted the breakfast show on Newstalk, a radio station. He worked with different co-presenters, including Claire Byrne and Chris Donoghue. In 2012, he took a break from broadcasting to focus on his personal finances.

He returned to Newstalk in September 2013, once again co-hosting the breakfast show. He also presented Tonight with Vincent Browne on TV3 during the summer of 2011.

Ivan Yates is also a popular speaker at business events. He often gives motivational talks and acts as a host for events. He co-hosted The Tonight Show on TV3 and presented The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk. He retired from broadcasting in July 2020.