Simon Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simon Harris
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Harris in 2024
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| Tánaiste | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 23 January 2025 |
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| Taoiseach | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Taoiseach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 9 April 2024 – 23 January 2025 |
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| President | Michael D. Higgins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tánaiste | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Leo Varadkar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Micheál Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Leader of Fine Gael | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 24 March 2024 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Leo Varadkar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teachta Dála | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office February 2011 |
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| Constituency | Wicklow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 October 1986 Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland |
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| Political party | Fine Gael | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
Fianna Fáil (before 2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Caoimhe Wade
(m. 2017) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | St David's Holy Faith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Dublin Institute of Technology (attended) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simon Harris (born 17 October 1986) is an Irish politician from the Fine Gael party. He has been the Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Minister for Defence since January 2025. Before this, he served as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) from April 2024 to January 2025.
Simon Harris became the leader of Fine Gael in 2024. He has also been a TD (a member of the Irish Parliament) for the Wicklow constituency since 2011. He first became a government minister in 2016, after serving as a junior minister from 2014 to 2016.
Born in Greystones, Simon Harris became involved in politics as a teenager. He worked to help children with autism and attention deficit disorder. In 2009, he was elected to Wicklow County Council. He became a TD in 2011, making him the youngest member of the Dáil at 24 years old.
He was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Finance in 2014. In 2016, he became Minister for Health. Later, in 2020, he was appointed Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. From December 2022 to June 2023, he also served as Minister for Justice for a short time.
When Leo Varadkar resigned in March 2024, Simon Harris was the only person to run for leader of Fine Gael. He became Taoiseach on 9 April 2024, at 37 years old, making him the youngest Taoiseach in Ireland's history. People sometimes call him the "TikTok Taoiseach" because he uses social media a lot.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Simon Harris was born in Greystones, County Wicklow, in 1986. He is the oldest of three children. His father, Bart, was a taxi driver, and his mother, Mary, worked with children with special needs.
He went to St David's Holy Faith Secondary School in Greystones. There, he enjoyed drama and was a student leader. When he was 15, he started a group called the North Wicklow Triple A Alliance. This group helped families of children with autism and attention deficit disorder. As a student, he spoke to politicians to get better support for these children in schools.
Simon Harris briefly studied at Dublin Institute of Technology before focusing on his political career. He joined Young Fine Gael, the youth section of the Fine Gael party, in 2003.
Starting His Political Journey
Simon Harris began working for Frances Fitzgerald, a future government minister, in 2008. In the 2009 local elections, he was elected to Wicklow County Council and Greystones Town Council. He received a very high number of votes. As a councillor, he worked on local policing and health issues.
In 2011, Simon Harris was elected to Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament) for the Wicklow area. He was the youngest TD at the time. He served on important committees, including the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, which looks at how the government spends money. He also worked on mental health issues.
Becoming a Government Minister
Junior Minister Role
On 15 July 2014, Simon Harris was appointed as a Minister of State at the Department of Finance. In this role, he was responsible for public works and government spending. During a time of severe flooding in 2015 and 2016, he worked on flood relief efforts.
Leading the Health Department
On 6 May 2016, Simon Harris became the Minister for Health. This was a big job, and he quickly faced challenges, including potential strikes by health workers. He helped prevent these strikes from happening.
He also worked on a plan called "A Healthy Weight for Ireland – Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016–2025." This plan aimed to help people in Ireland achieve better health and reduce obesity.
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As Health Minister, he was involved in important changes to laws regarding healthcare. He also faced criticism for how he handled certain health-related issues, including concerns about cervical cancer screening. In 2018, he helped an 8-year-old boy born in Dublin who was facing deportation, allowing him to stay in Ireland.
In February 2019, Simon Harris faced a challenge regarding the rising costs of a new children's hospital. However, he continued in his role. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he introduced emergency laws to help manage the health crisis.
Other Ministerial Roles
On 27 June 2020, Simon Harris was appointed Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. This was a new government department. He worked on policies to fund higher education and make it more affordable for students.
When Leo Varadkar became Taoiseach again in December 2022, Simon Harris kept his role in higher education. He also temporarily served as Minister for Justice while the usual minister was on maternity leave.
Serving as Taoiseach (2024–2025)
Becoming Fine Gael Leader
When Leo Varadkar resigned as leader of Fine Gael in March 2024, a new leadership election was held. Simon Harris was the only candidate, and he was confirmed as the new leader on 24 March 2024.
Becoming Prime Minister
After Leo Varadkar resigned as Taoiseach on 8 April, Simon Harris was nominated by the Dáil (Irish Parliament) to become the next Taoiseach. He was officially appointed by President Michael D. Higgins on 9 April 2024. At 37, he became the youngest Taoiseach in Ireland's history. He promised to be a leader for everyone in Ireland.
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As Taoiseach, Simon Harris announced his new government team. He spoke about important international issues, including the conflict in the Gaza Strip. He called for a ceasefire and said that Ireland would recognize a Palestinian state, which happened on 28 May 2024.
He also discussed Ireland's approach to immigration, stating that Ireland would have its own policies and not be a "loophole" for other countries' issues.
General Election and Resignation
On 8 November 2024, Simon Harris called a general election for 29 November. He said it was time for the Irish people to choose a new government. During the election campaign, he faced a challenging moment when speaking with a carer about disability services. He later apologized for the exchange.
Simon Harris was re-elected as a TD in the election. He resigned as Taoiseach on 18 December 2024, the day the new Dáil met. He and his government continued to work until a new government was formed on 23 January 2025.
Current Role as Tánaiste (2025–present)
Since 23 January 2025, Simon Harris has been serving as Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister). He also holds the roles of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence in the government led by Micheál Martin.
Personal Life
In 2017, Simon Harris married Caoimhe Wade, who is a cardiac nurse. They have two children, a daughter and a son. Simon Harris lives with Crohn's disease, but he has said it does not greatly affect his daily life.
His younger brother has autism, and Simon Harris helped co-found a charity called AsIAm, which supports autism services.
Simon Harris is well-known for his active presence on social media, especially TikTok, which led to his nickname "TikTok Taoiseach." He also used Instagram for live question-and-answer sessions when he was Minister for Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
See also
In Spanish: Simon Harris para niños
