Mary Hanafin (Irish: Máire Ní Ainifín; born 1 June 1959) is an Irish politician. She is currently a Fianna Fáil TD for Dún Laoghaire and Minister for Education & Science. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Minister for Education and Science is the senior minister at the Department of Education and Science (An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta) in the Irish Government. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Noel Dempsey (born January 1953), is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: North: Nenagh South: Clonmel Code: North: TN South: TS Area: 4,303 km² Population (2006) 149,040[[1]] County Tipperary (Contae Thiobraid Árann in Irish) is a county in the Republic of Ireland, and situated in the province of Munster. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... The Dún Laoghaire parliamentary constituency is located in the south-western area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in County Dublin. ... The Minister for Education and Science is the senior minister at the Department of Education and Science (An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta) in the Irish Government. ...

Early & private life

Mary Hanafin was born in Thurles, County Tipperary in 1959. She was born into a family that had a strong association with the Fianna Fáil politicial party. Her father, Des Hanafin, was heavily involved with the party at local and national levels in the 1960s before later serving as a Senator at various times for over twenty-five years from 1969 until 2002. Hanafin’s brother, John Gerard Hanafin, is also involved in national politics and, like his father before him, is a member of the Seanad. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: North: Nenagh South: Clonmel Code: North: TN South: TS Area: 4,303 km² Population (2006) 149,040[[1]] County Tipperary (Contae Thiobraid Árann in Irish) is a county in the Republic of Ireland, and situated in the province of Munster. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ... Des Hanafin (born 1930) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... John Gerard Hanafin is an Irish politician and member of the 22nd Seanad Éireann for Fianna Fáil. ...

Hanafin was educated locally at the Presentation Convent in Thurles before later attending St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree. She subsequently worked as a secondary school teacher of Irish and History in the Dominican College in Blackrock, County Dublin. After many years working in education Hanafin attended the Dublin Institute of Technology where she completed a diploma in legal studies. St Patricks College, Maynooth is the National Seminary for Ireland, a college and seminary often called Maynooth College located at Maynooth, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... A B.A. issused as a certificate Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ... Secondary school is a term used to describe an institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Dublin Code: D Area: 921 km² Population (2006) 1,186,821 County Dublin (Irish: Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath), or more correctly today the Dublin Region[1] (Réigiúin Átha Cliath), is the area that contains the city of Dublin, the capital and largest city... The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) was established officially in 1992 under the Dublin Institute of Technology Act but had been previously set up in 1978 on an ad-hoc basis. ... The School of Law at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, USA. A law school (or school of law) is an institution specializing in legal education. ...

Hanafin was married to Eamon Leahy, a senior counsel, for many years. He died suddenly from a heart attack in 2003. The title of Senior Counsel (postnominal SC; 資深大律師 in Hong Kong Cantonese [1] [2]; 高级律师 in Singapore Mandarin [3] [4]) or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, especially in Commonwealth countries or jurisdictions in which the British monarch is no longer head of state, such... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early political career

As the daughter of a Senator, Hanafin was involved in politics from an early age. She joined Ógra Fianna Fáil at the age of fifteen and spoke at her first Ard Fheis two years later at the age of seventeen. [1] Hanafin first became involved in national politics at the relatively young age of twenty-one in 1980 when she was elected to the Fianna Fail national executive, the party’s ruling body. Five years later in 1985 she caused controversy when she became one of only nine national executive members to vote against the expulsion of Desmond O'Malley from the party. This rebellious vote came in spite of an order from the party leader, Charles Haughey, that O’Malley should be expelled due to the fact that he had voted against his own party in the Dáil on a number of important issues. This act did not prove to be a disadvantage to Hanafin’s political career, as later that year she was elected to Dublin City Council as a Fianna Fail representative. Ógra Fianna Fáil are the youth wing of the Irish political party Fianna Fáil. ... An Ard Fheis is an annual convention, usually of a political party. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Desmond Joseph (Des) OMalley (Irish: ; born 2 February 1939), was a senior Fianna Fáil politician, the founder of the Progressive Democrats and the partys first leader (1985-1993). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Dublin City Council (Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath in Irish) refers to two different entities. ...

Hanafin contested a Dáil seat in the 1989 general election, however, she was unsuccessful on that occasion. She retired as a city councillor in 1991 and became involved in the running of the Fianna Fail party, rising to the position of national treasurer in 1993. The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Friday, June 15, 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on May 25. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Hanafin is also a former President of the NYCI (National Youth Council of Ireland). --Boothy443 | comhrÚ 20:52, 21 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

Recent political career

Hanafin was elected to the Dáil as a Fianna Fail candidate on her second attempt at the 1997 general election. In her first few years as a TD she served on a number of Oireachtas committees, including Education & Science, Heritage & the Irish language and Justice, Equality & Women’s Affairs. After just two and a half years in the Dáil Hanafin was appointed Minister of State (with special responsibility for Children) in 2000. This was one of the newly-expanded junior ministry positions created by the new government in 1997, and, although it did not hold cabinet rank, it was regarded as a hugely important position. After topping the poll in her constituency at the 2002 general election Hanafin was promoted to the position of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach. This is effectively the position of government chief whip and is regarded as one of the most senior Minister of State positions due to the fact that the incumbent is allowed to attend cabinet meetings. The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, June 6, 1997. ... The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. ... The Minister of State in Ireland, who has special reponsibilty for children, is officially styled Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and at the Department of Education and Science (with special responsibility for Children), and is a... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday 17 May 2002, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern. ... The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach is essentially the Irish Government Chief Whip and is the most senior Minister of State. ... The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... A Minister of State, in the Republic of Ireland, is a junior minister of non-cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the cabinet. ...

Following a cabinet reshuffle in September 2004 Hanafin joined the cabinet as Minster for Education & Science. Since her appointment to this portfolio, Hanafin, as a former teacher herself, has improved relations with the teacher trade unions, following a difficult period evident during the incumbency of her predecessor, Noel Dempsey. She has, however, abandoned the compilation of school league tables, [2] which her predecessor was investigating. Hanafin has also had to deal with controversies over the condition of some of the country’s schools regarding building projects and class size. School bus safety was also pushed to the top of the agenda for Hanafin following the tragic death of five schoolgirls near Navan, County Meath in 2005. In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a Head of State or Head of Government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in his or her United States it would very unusual for a president to reassign all the cabinet... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Minister for Education and Science is the senior minister at the Department of Education and Science (An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta) in the Irish Government. ... Noel Dempsey (born January 1953), is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Navan Code: MH Area: 2,342 km² Population (2006) 162,621 Website: www. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The future

Like many other high-profile female TDs and government ministers, Hanafin is sometimes touted in the media as the one of the women likely to lead Fianna Fáil in the future and possibly become Ireland’s first female Taoiseach. [3] Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ... The Taoiseach ( or ) — plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach[1], is the head of government of Ireland or prime minister. ...

Political career

The Oireachtas is the National Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. ... Niamh Bhreathnach (born 1945), was a senior Irish politician. ... The Labour Party (Irish: Páirtí an Lucht Oibre) is a social democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland with 55,000 members. ... A Teachta Dála (Irish for Dáil Deputy, pronounced chock-ta dawla) is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Irish Oireachtas or National Parliament. ... The Dún Laoghaire parliamentary constituency is located in the south-western area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in County Dublin. ... The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, June 6, 1997. ... Frank Fahey (born 1951) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Minister of State in Ireland, who has special reponsibilty for children, is officially styled Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and at the Department of Education and Science (with special responsibility for Children), and is a... Brian Lenihan, TD Brian Lenihan Jr. ... Séamus Brennan (born February 16, 1948) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach is essentially the Irish Government Chief Whip and is the most senior Minister of State. ... Tom Kitt (born 11 July 1952), is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician and the current Government Chief Whip. ... The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach is essentially the Irish Government Chief Whip and is the most senior Minister of State. ... Noel Dempsey (born January 1953), is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. ... The Minister for Education & Science is the chief person at the Department of Education & Science is engaged in a wide range of activities covering pllicy planning, quality assurance and providing a broad range of services for education in the Republic of Ireland. ...

External links

• Oireachtas database entry for Mary Hanafin
• Mary Hanafin's website
• Mary Hanafin's page on the Fianna Fáil website
• Mary Hanafin's electoral history