Who is Ivan Yates? From government minister to political commentator

A former Fine Gael TD and minister, Ivan Yates was first elected to the Dáil in 1981 at just 21, making him the youngest TD elected at the time

Ivan Yates in 2018. File picture: Collins Courts

Ivan Yates has found himself in hot water in recent weeks due to his pronouncements on the 2025 presidential election.

He initially commented that he would have advised Fine Gael to “smear the bejaysus” out of Catherine Connolly before it was revealed that he provided training to Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin.