Shane Peter Nathaniel Ross (born 11 July 1949) is an Irish former Independent politician who served as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport from May 2016 to June 2020.

He is the son of former Senator and prominent member of the legal fraternity, John N. Ross,[2] and the noted gardener and writer Ruth Isabel Cherrington.

A stockbroker with NCB, Ross was Business Editor of the Sunday Independent, Ireland's biggest-selling weekend broadsheet, until his election to the Dáil in 2011, when he resigned from the post.

He was first elected to the Seanad in 1981, as an Independent candidate for the Dublin University constituency, and was re-elected on nine occasions,[4] becoming the longest-serving member of the house.

He is one of Ireland's most visible business commentators, promoting free enterprise, small government and low taxes, and is widely identified as one of the most visible champions of laissez-faire capitalism in Irish politics, praising former Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy,[6] as a "brilliant Minister in the boom years" and lauded McCreevy's controversial tax individualisation as "visionary".

[9] In 2000, he and Eamon Dunphy championed the case of small shareholders of eircom, after shares in the former state-owned company fell in value by more than a third in just over a year.

Ross took the board of directors to task over the level of salaries, bonuses and fees being paid, and denounced a plan whereby senior management were to get share options at a value below the flotation price.

[9] Ross persisted in drawing attention to the issue, criticising the National Roads Authority in August 2008, for its inadequate and confusing management of the M50 barrier-free tolling system,[11] and was reported in The Sunday Times of London as having declared that "the removal of the barrier should have been cause for celebration.

[15] In another column, he dismissed shareholder critics of Fingleton, notably Brendan Burgess,[16] and contrasted the small shareholder rebellions of eircom, Smurfit and First Active with that of the INBS, the CEO of which, he claimed, "despite all his abrasiveness, was delivering small riches to them",[17] Ross dismissed the corporate governance concerns of Fingleton's critics, writing "for all his faults, has delivered the only thing that matters in business: profit".

Ross had been briefed by a member of the group, and quoted him saying "We are going to teach the brokers and hedge funds that damaged the bank a salutary lesson...

[27] In October of that year Ross drew the ire of the public transport company CIÉ for publicising charges of widescale fraud and mismanagement within the semi-state organisation.

[28] He has criticised government inaction in voicing concerns about the Sellafield nuclear plant,[29] and has called for stronger legal protection for whistleblowers in cases of fraud and corruption.

Ross is frequently featured as a source by international news media,[31][32] and has been cited as "one of Ireland's foremost financial commentators" by the Associated Press.

[34][35] During the general election campaign Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter attacked Ross,[36] saying the Senator "was a cheerleader for Sean FitzPatrick and Michael Fingleton" and had "reserved his criticism of bankers for AIB and Bank of Ireland and celebrated the enormous profits earned by Anglo and Nationwide".

[41] In March 2015, Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice founded the Independent Alliance, which was later joined by John Halligan, Finian McGrath, Tom Fleming and Feargal Quinn.

"I think what's happened is that what the constituents have done is said we want to try something else we want a change from Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance and that is absolutely their entitlement and I accept it fully and I wish my successors a great deal of success."

[50][47] On 17 March 2019 an article in The Sunday Times reported that John Delaney, head of the Football Association of Ireland for many years, had given a loan of €100,000 to the FAI.

[47] In an article in the Irish Times, Professor Niamh Brennan, an expert on corporate governance, wrote "The organisation is at death's door.

He also claimed that Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald would be next Taoiseach, calling her "a superstar" who left other politicians "trailing in her wake".

[58] Following the Ireland national rugby union team's 2018 Six Nations Championship Grand Slam, Ross tweeted a photograph of himself alongside Ireland players Johnny Sexton and Rob Kearney; the photograph's caption stated, "Congratulations and welcome home this evening to superstars Johnny Sexton and Dave Kearney".

[58] In May 2018, Ross tweeted that he was "delighted to confirm" that a fee-paying school, Wesley College (located in his constituency), would be given a grant of €150,000 to resurface its field hockey pitch.

[60] During a radio interview on Newstalk on 30 November 2018, Ross displayed a lack of knowledge of association football; initially crediting the goalkeeper Shay Given with having scored the winning goal against Germany in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying in October 2015, Ross corrected himself and credited Given with the assist and Shane Long with the goal.

During the same interview Ross congratulated a "Shane Kenny" on being appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, with the intention of being promoted to the senior job after UEFA Euro 2020.