Former government minister Denis Naughten has joined communications agency Red Flag as a senior adviser having decided not to contest the 2024 general election.
First elected as a TD for Roscommon in 1997 after a stint as a senator, Mr Naughten held the position of minister for communications, climate action and environment from 2016 to 2018.
Initially a Fine Gael TD, he lost the party whip in 2011 over a vote on downgrading of Roscommon Hospital’s emergency department and later sat as an Independent TD.
In the new role, Mr Naughten will be focused on clients with a footprint in Ireland and the European Union, bringing his extensive experience in public affairs to assist them as they navigate complex regulatory and policy environments.
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Red Flag said his role will include advising their clients across the technology, energy and health sectors.
The former minister said he was “delighted to be joining the Red Flag team at a time when the links between politics, regulation and technology are becoming more complex by the day”.
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“I look forward to working with Red Flag’s clients in Ireland and across the EU to help them navigate this rapidly changing landscape and to turn innovative solutions into real-world impact,” he said.
Mr Naughten is the latest public representative to leave politics at the last general election before becoming an adviser of a communications firm.
Former Fine Gael minister Brendan Griffin joined lobbying and communications firm Hanover as a senior public affairs adviser in February, while former junior minister David Stanton joined Alice Public Relations’ team in June this year.
Former tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald joined consultancy firm Teneo as a senior adviser in June, adding to their line-up of Brian O’Driscoll and Gary McGann. Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been on the global advisory board of US firm Penta Group since April.
Another former taoiseach, Enda Kenny, became a non-executive director of PR and lobbying firm Heneghan Strategic Communications, in 2021.
The chief executive of Red Flag, Karl Brophy, said he has known Mr Naughten “personally for many years” dating back to before his career in politics.
“He brings with him a wealth of experience and political savvy,” Mr Brophy said, noting that with Ireland set to take over the EU presidency this year, “It will be a pivotal year for politics, business and citizens and clients will greatly benefit from access to Denis’s counsel and advice.”
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Deirdre Grant, managing director of Red Flag in Ireland, said Mr Naughten “brings a depth of knowledge and experience from his time in Leinster House, in Brussels and on the global stage which will be of huge value to our clients”.
Founded by former journalist Mr Brophy in 2013, Red Flag was acquired by Ankura for an estimated €45 million. US-based Ankura Consulting Group is a global expert services and advisory company which employs more than 2,000 people across 55 countries.
