Joe McHugh TD was appointed by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny as Co-Chairperson of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly in July 2011. In July 2012 Deputy McHugh was elected as Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

Joe McHugh was re-elected as a Fine Gael TD for Donegal North-East in February 2011. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 2007. Fine Gael had not had Dáil representation in Donegal North-East for the previous 10 years. Deputy McHugh was a Member of Seanad Éireann from 2002-2007. He was a Member of Donegal County Council from 1999-2004.

Enda Kenny and Joe McHugh authored 'The Fine Gael Border Forum Report' in July 2010. This 16-page policy document set out the Party's plans for North-South economic synergies and for job creation in the Border region. Proposals set out in the Report are now being implemented as part of the Fine Gael-Lab Programme for Government. Deputy McHugh was Fine Gael Spokesperson on North-South Cooperation in the 30th Dáil. He established the Fine Gael Border Forum in February 2010. 

Joe McHugh was educated at Umlagh NS; Loreto Convent Milford and at NUI Maynooth (B.Arts Hons. [Economics & Sociology]; H.Dip [Education]). Prior to his election to Donegal County Council in 1999 he worked as an Economics and Maths teacher in Letterkenny & Dubai, and as a Youth Worker in Letterkenny.

Joe is married to Olwyn. The couple have three children and reside in Carrigart, Co. Donegal.