Roscommon County Hospital emergency department on 6 July 2011. He lost the Fine Gael party whip the following day. On 13 September 2013, he and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, described as a "loose alliance" rather than a political party. He was re-elected for Roscommon–Galway at the 2016 general election. Naughten was appointed as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in Taoiseach Enda Kenny's Fine Gael/Independent minority government after two months of negotiation following the 2016 general election. He later resigned from this post on 11 October 2018, following controversy surrounding a series of meetings he attended with the leading bidder for his department's National Broadband Plan that occurred during the project's procurement process. He was replaced by Richard Bruton. He stood for election for Ceann Comhairle at the first sitting of the 33rd Dáil on 20 February 2020, but was defeated by Seán Ó Fearghaíl. Naughten was subsequently appointed by Leo Varadkar as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on an acting basis due to a deferred election caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. On 13 February 2023, he announced that he would not be contesting the next general election. See also Families in the Oireachtas References External links 1973 births Living people Alumni of University College Cork Alumni of University College Dublin Fine Gael TDs Independent TDs Local councillors in County Roscommon Members of the 20th Seanad Members of the 28th Dáil Members of the 29th Dáil Members of the 30th Dáil Members of the 31st Dáil Members of the 32nd Dáil Members of the 33rd Dáil Fine Gael senators Ministers for the Environment (Ireland)