John Browne is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He is currently a Minister of State with special responsibility for Forestry at the Department of Agriculture and Food.

John Browne was born in August 1948 in Marshalstown, County Wexford, and was educated locally at St Mary's Christian Brothers School in Enniscorthy. He worked as a salesman before becoming involved in politics and was also an inter-county hurler for his native county of Wexford. He first became involved in politics in 1979 when he was elected to Wexford Urban District Council and to the County Council. Browne was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1982 and has been re-elected at every election since.

Over his career Browne has held a number of junior ministerial portfolios including:

• 1982–1987: Assistant Chief Whip.
• 1992–1993: Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food with special responsibility for the Food Industry.
• 1993–1994: Minister of State at the Department of the Environment with special responsibility for Environmental Protection.
• 1997–2002: Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce at the Departments of Enterprise, Trade & Employment and Education and Science.
• 2002–2004: Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

Browne has also served as Chairman of a number of Oireachtas Committees, including, Agriculture, Marine, Social Affairs, and Finance. In Bertie Ahern's Cabinet reshuffle of 2004 Browne became Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, serving under Mary Coughlan, Ireland's first female Agriculture Minister.