[1] The son of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey and Maureen Lemass, Haughey was educated at St Paul's College, Raheny, Dublin, and Trinity College Dublin, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Politics.

[2] Haughey entered politics in 1985 when he was elected to Dublin City Council for the Artane local electoral area.

In June 2006, Haughey apologised for failing to disclose receiving £2,300 from Monarch Properties to the Mahon Tribunal.

He regained a seat in the Dáil at the 2016 general election, when he was returned for the new Dublin Bay North constituency.

[19][20] After the death of Ashurak in May, Haughey took over the patronage of Dzyanis Ivashin, a journalist of Novy Chas and Belarusian political prisoner, on 30 June 2021.