Michael Noonan (Irish: Micheál Ó Nuanáin; born 21 May 1943) is an Irish politician and was Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Fine Gael from February 2001 to June 2002. He is currently a Teachta Dála for Limerick East. Noonan previously held a variety of positions in the governments of Garret FitzGerald and John Bruton. May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The Leader of the Opposition (Ir Ceannaire an Fhreasúra) in the Republic of Ireland is the politician who, at least in theory, leads the Parliamentary Opposition bloc in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann. ... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicised to ) (approximate English translation: Family or Tribe of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in the Republic of Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Dail (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership... 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. ... Limerick East is a constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. ... Garret FitzGerald (Irish: ; born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. ... John Gerard Bruton (born May 18, 1947) was the ninth Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Michael Noonan was born in Limerick. He was educated locally and at University College Dublin where he qualified as a teacher. He taught for many years at the Crescent College in Limerick. He first became involved in politics in 1974 he was elected to Limerick County Council. He served on that authority until 1981. In that year he was elected as a Fine Gael TD for Limerick East. He has been re-elected at every election since. This article is about the city in Ireland. ... University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ... Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a Jesuit secondary school located on a section of 40 acres (162,000 m²) of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Limerick Code: LK Area: 2,686 km² Population (2006) 183,863 (including Limerick City); 131,303 (without Limerick City) Website: www. ...

Although Fine Gael was out of power, Noonan became spokesperson on Education. After just 18 months in the Dáil he was appointed Minister for Justice by Garret FitzGerald As Minister he revealed the illegal phone-tapping of journalists' phones, carried out by the Fianna Fáil administration that preceded it in power. In 1986 he became Minister for Industry, Commerce and Trade. He took responsibility of the Energy portfolio when the Labour Party withdrew from the government. Fine Gael lost power in 1987 and were confined to the opposition benches for another seven years. In opposition he became Party spokesperson on Fiannce, and later on Transport, Energy & Communications. Between 1991 and 1994 Noonan served on Limerick County Council again. Dáil Éireann[1] is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... The Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform is the chief minister in charge of law and order in the Republic of Ireland. ... Garret FitzGerald (Irish: ; born February 9, 1926) was the seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, serving two terms in office; July 1981 to February 1982, and December 1982 to March 1987. ... 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. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Finance Main article portfolio (finance) In finance, a portfolio is a collection of investments held by an institution or a private individual. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Limerick Code: LK Area: 2,686 km² Population (2006) 183,863 (including Limerick City); 131,303 (without Limerick City) Website: www. ...

In 1994 the 'Rainbow Coalition' was formed and Noonan became Minister for Health. The department was embroiled in a scandal at the time regarding blood products contaminated with hepatitis C virus. He refused to resign and remained as Minister until the election in 1997. Fine Gael lost that election and Noonan became opposition spokesman for Finance. In 2001 Noonan and his colleague, Jim Mitchell, tabled a motion of no confidence in the leader, John Bruton. The motion was successful in ousting Bruton as leader, with Noonan becoming leader of Fine Gael and Jim Mitchell became deputy-leader. Noonan effectively became Leader of the Opposition, a largely ceremonial title. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne, infectious, viral disease that is caused by a hepatotropic virus called Hepatitis C virus (HCV). ... Groups I: dsDNA viruses II: ssDNA viruses III: dsRNA viruses IV: (+)ssRNA viruses V: (-)ssRNA viruses VI: ssRNA-RT viruses VII: dsDNA-RT viruses A virus (from the Latin noun virus, meaning toxin or poison) is a microscopic particle (ranging in size from 20 - 300 nm) that can infect the... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jim Mitchell (19 October 1946 - 2 December 2002) was a senior Irish politician who served in the cabinets of Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald (1981-82; 1982-87). ... A table is a piece of furniture with a horizontal surface supported above the ground. ... A motion is a formal step to introduce a matter for consideration by a group. ... A Motion of No Confidence, also called Motion of Non Confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ... John Gerard Bruton (born May 18, 1947) was the ninth Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicised to ) (approximate English translation: Family or Tribe of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in the Republic of Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Dail (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership... Jim Mitchell (19 October 1946 - 2 December 2002) was a senior Irish politician who served in the cabinets of Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald (1981-82; 1982-87). ... The Leader of the Opposition (Ir Ceannaire an Fhreasúra) in the Republic of Ireland is the politician who, at least in theory, leads the Parliamentary Opposition bloc in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann. ...

Noonan was an effective opposition speaker, however, he wasn't so successful in his role as party leader. In the 2002 general election Fine Gael had a disastrous result. The party dropped from 54 TDs to 31 TDs. Noonan resigned as Fine Gael leader on the night of the election. He was replaced by Enda Kenny, the loser to Noonan in his original leadership battle to replace Bruton in 2001. Noonan is still a TD in Dáil Éireann winning re-election in the 2007 election and has served on Kenny's Front bench. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicised to ) (approximate English translation: Family or Tribe of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in the Republic of Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Dail (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicised to ) (approximate English translation: Family or Tribe of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in the Republic of Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Dail (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership... Enda Kenny (Irish: ; born 24 April 1951), an Irish politician, is the 10th leader of the Fine Gael party and Leader of the Opposition in Dáil Éireann. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Dáil Chamber Dáil Éireann (pronounced ) is the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Political career