Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Encyclopedia
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn is an Irish politician
, and is the current European Commissioner
for Research, Innovation and Science. She previously served as a Fianna Fáil
Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Galway West constituency from 1975 to 1997. She served as Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications
(1992–1993) and as Minister for Justice (1993–94).
in September 1950. She was educated at Coláiste Muire
, Tourmakeady
, in County Mayo
and at Carysfort College
in Blackrock from where she qualified as a teacher. She is married to John Quinn, with whom she has two children.
In 1996, she wrote The Green Diamond, a novel about four young women sharing a house in Dublin in the 1960s.
, was Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West from 1954 until his death in 1975. His daughter successfully contested the subsequent by-election. From 1977 and 1979 she worked as Parliamentary Secretary
(Junior Minister) at the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy
. She served as a member of Galway City Council
from 1985–91.
Geoghegan-Quinn supported Charles Haughey
in the 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election
, she was subsequently appointed to the cabinet post of Minister for the Gaeltacht
. Thus, she became the first woman to hold an Irish cabinet post since 1922, when Countess Markievicz was Minister for Labour
in the First Dáil
starting 1919. In 1981 Labour Party
's Eileen Desmond
became the next woman to hold a cabinet post.
In 1982 she was appointed Minister of State
at the Department of Education
. Her tenure was short, because the 23rd Dáil lasted only 279 days, and a Fine Gael
–Labour Party coalition was elected at the November 1982 general election.
When Fianna Fáil returned to power after the 1987 general election
, Geoghegan-Quinn became Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
. She resigned in 1991 in opposition to Charles Haughey
's leadership of the party. The following year Albert Reynolds
, whom she now backed for the leadership, became Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. Geoghegan-Quinn was appointed Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications
for her loyalty to Reynolds. In 1993 she became Minister for Justice, introducing substantial law reform legislation, including the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
When Reynolds resigned in November 1994, she was seen as his preferred successor for the leadership of the party. She stood against Bertie Ahern
and a win would have made her the first female Taoiseach. On the day of the vote, however, she withdrew from the contest 'in the interests of party unity'. It is was reported that she had the support of only 15 members of the 66-strong parliamentary party.
At the 1997 general election
she retired from politics completely, citing privacy issues, after details about her 17-year old son's expulsion from school appeared in the newspapers. "If his mother had been a homemaker, an architect or a businesswoman, this simply would not have happened," she commented. Other reports suggested that she saw her prospects for promotion under Ahern as poor, and a weak showing in constituency opinion polls indicated her seat could be in danger. She became a non-executive director
of Aer Lingus
, a member of the Board of the Declan Ganley
owned Ganley Group and wrote a column for The Irish Times
.
In 1999 she was appointed to the European Court of Auditors
replacing former TD Barry Desmond
. She was appointed for a second term at the Court of Auditors in March 2006.
She was nominated by the Taoiseach Brian Cowen
to become Ireland
's European Commissioner
in November 2009. and was subsequently allocated the Research, Innovation and Science portfolio.
In April 2010, after numerous calls over several days on Geoghegan-Quinn to surrender her pensions as a former Irish politician, which are worth over €104,000 while still in a paid public office, she did so. Her salary in April 2010 as a European Commissioner is €243,000.
Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Ireland is a parliamentary, representative democratic republic and a member state of the European Union. While the head of state is the popularly elected President of Ireland, this is a largely ceremonial position with real political power being vested in the indirectly elected Taoiseach who is...
, and is the current European Commissioner
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
for Research, Innovation and Science. She previously served as a Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Galway West constituency from 1975 to 1997. She served as Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications
Minister for Transport (Ireland)
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
(1992–1993) and as Minister for Justice (1993–94).
Early and personal life
Máire Geoghegan was born in Carna, County GalwayCounty Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
in September 1950. She was educated at Coláiste Muire
Tourmakeady College
Tourmakeady College is an Irish-speaking voluntary secondary school in Tourmakeady, County Mayo, Ireland. The school has approximately 180 students....
, Tourmakeady
Tourmakeady
Tuar Mhic Éadaigh is a small village in County Mayo, Ireland. It has a population of about 1000 people. It is located on the shores of Lough Mask. Part of Tourmakeady was originally in neighbouring County Galway, but was placed under the administration of County Mayo in 1898...
, in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
and at Carysfort College
Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort
Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort was an important College of Education in Dublin, Ireland from its foundation in 1877 until its closure in 1988...
in Blackrock from where she qualified as a teacher. She is married to John Quinn, with whom she has two children.
In 1996, she wrote The Green Diamond, a novel about four young women sharing a house in Dublin in the 1960s.
Political career
Her father, Johnny GeogheganJohnny Geoghegan
Johnny Geoghegan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála for more than twenty years....
, was Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West from 1954 until his death in 1975. His daughter successfully contested the subsequent by-election. From 1977 and 1979 she worked as Parliamentary Secretary
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
(Junior Minister) at the Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)
The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...
. She served as a member of Galway City Council
Galway City Council
Galway City Council is the local authority for the city of Galway, Ireland. Previously Galway Corporation, it was founded in 1485 by The Tribes of Galway via a Charter of Mayoralty granted to the town in December 1484 by King Richard III. The first Mayor of Galway was Peirce Lynch...
from 1985–91.
Geoghegan-Quinn supported Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
in the 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election
Fianna Fáil leadership election, 1979
The 1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election began in December 1979, when Jack Lynch resigned as party leader and Taoiseach. Lynch had been party leader for thirteen years and Taoiseach for over nine years. His successor was elected by the members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 7 December...
, she was subsequently appointed to the cabinet post of Minister for the Gaeltacht
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is a senior minister at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is Frances Fitzgerald, TD.-Overview:...
. Thus, she became the first woman to hold an Irish cabinet post since 1922, when Countess Markievicz was Minister for Labour
Minister for Labour (Ireland)
The Minister for Labour was originally the name of a government department in the Government of the Irish Republic, the self-declared state which was established in 1919 by Dáil Éireann, the parliamentary assembly made up of the majority of Irish MPs elected in the 1918 general election. Constance...
in the First Dáil
First Dáil
The First Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 1919–1921. In 1919 candidates who had been elected in the Westminster elections of 1918 refused to recognise the Parliament of the United Kingdom and instead assembled as a unicameral, revolutionary parliament called "Dáil Éireann"...
starting 1919. In 1981 Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
's Eileen Desmond
Eileen Desmond
Eileen Desmond, née Harrington was a senior Irish Labour Party politician. She served in the Dáil and the Seanad and the European Parliament, and was Minister for Health & Social Welfare from 1981 to 1982....
became the next woman to hold a cabinet post.
In 1982 she was appointed Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
at the Department of Education
Department of Education and Science (Ireland)
The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...
. Her tenure was short, because the 23rd Dáil lasted only 279 days, and a Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
–Labour Party coalition was elected at the November 1982 general election.
When Fianna Fáil returned to power after the 1987 general election
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
, Geoghegan-Quinn became Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
. She resigned in 1991 in opposition to Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
's leadership of the party. The following year Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds , served as Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...
, whom she now backed for the leadership, became Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. Geoghegan-Quinn was appointed Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications
Minister for Transport (Ireland)
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
for her loyalty to Reynolds. In 1993 she became Minister for Justice, introducing substantial law reform legislation, including the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
When Reynolds resigned in November 1994, she was seen as his preferred successor for the leadership of the party. She stood against Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
and a win would have made her the first female Taoiseach. On the day of the vote, however, she withdrew from the contest 'in the interests of party unity'. It is was reported that she had the support of only 15 members of the 66-strong parliamentary party.
At the 1997 general election
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
she retired from politics completely, citing privacy issues, after details about her 17-year old son's expulsion from school appeared in the newspapers. "If his mother had been a homemaker, an architect or a businesswoman, this simply would not have happened," she commented. Other reports suggested that she saw her prospects for promotion under Ahern as poor, and a weak showing in constituency opinion polls indicated her seat could be in danger. She became a non-executive director
Non-executive director
A non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
of Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
, a member of the Board of the Declan Ganley
Declan Ganley
Declan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
owned Ganley Group and wrote a column for The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
.
In 1999 she was appointed to the European Court of Auditors
European Court of Auditors
The Court of Auditors is the fifth institution of the European Union . It was established in 1975 in Luxembourg to audit the accounts of EU institutions...
replacing former TD Barry Desmond
Barry Desmond
Barry Desmond is a former Irish Labour Party politician and government minister.He was educated at the Presentation Brothers, the School of Commerce and University College Cork, and became a trade union official with the ITGWU and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions...
. She was appointed for a second term at the Court of Auditors in March 2006.
She was nominated by the Taoiseach Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
to become Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
's European Commissioner
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
in November 2009. and was subsequently allocated the Research, Innovation and Science portfolio.
In April 2010, after numerous calls over several days on Geoghegan-Quinn to surrender her pensions as a former Irish politician, which are worth over €104,000 while still in a paid public office, she did so. Her salary in April 2010 as a European Commissioner is €243,000.
External links
- Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Official Media Gallery
- Official website