Ruairi Quinn (Irish: Ruairí Ó Cuinn) (born 2 April 1946) is an Irish Labour politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin South East and was leader of the Labour Party from 1997 to 2002. The Labour Party (Irish: Páirtí an Lucht Oibre) is a social democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Look up October in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Richard Spring (born August 29, 1950 in Tralee County Kerry), is a businessman and former senior Irish politician. ... Pat Rabbitte (born May 18, 1949) is a senior Irish politician, who has been the leader of the Labour Party since 2002. ... The Minister for Finance is the senior minister at the Department of Finance (An Roinn Airgeadais) in the Irish Government. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in 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. ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Patrick Bartholomew Ahern (known as Bertie Ahern, Irish: ; born 12 September 1951 in Dublin) is an Irish politician. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Map of Éire Éire (pronounced ) is the Irish name for Ireland. ... The Labour Party (Irish: Páirtí an Lucht Oibre) is a social democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The Labour Party (Irish: Páirtí an Lucht Oibre) is a social democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... 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. ... Dublin South East is a parliamentary constituency in the Republic of Ireland. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Youth

Ruairi Quinn was born on 2 April 1946. He was educated at Blackrock College, University College Dublin and the School of Ekistics in Athens. He became an architect with Dublin Corporation in 1971. He was a partner in an architecture firm from 1973 to 1982. In 1976 he was appointed to Seanad Éireann. He was first elected a Labour TD for Dublin South East at the 1977 General Election. He lost his seat at the 1981 General Election and served in Seanad Éireann again. He was re-elected as TD in Feb 1982 General Election and has retained his seat since. April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Blackrock College (Irish: Coláiste na Carraige Duibhe) is a Catholic, voluntary, fee-paying secondary school for boys, located in Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. ... University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα - Athína) is the largest city and capital of Greece, located in the Attica periphery of central Greece. ... Dublin Corporation is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between the twelfth century and 1 January 2002. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the 1976 Gregorian calendar. ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... The Irish general election of 1977 was held on June 16, 1977. ... The Irish general election of 1981 was held on June 11, 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on May 21. ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ... The Irish general election of February 1982 was held on February 18, 1982, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on January 27. ...

Early Ministerial Career

In 1982 he became Minister of State at the Department of the Environment. Between 1983 and 1986 he served as Minister for Labour. From 1986-1987 he was appointed Minister for the Public Service. In 1989 he became deputy leader of the Labour Party. He was director of elections for Mary Robinson's successful Presidential election campaign. Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mary Robinson (Irish name Máire Mhic Róibín; born 21 May 1944) was the first female President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. ...

Minister for Enterprise & Employment

In the Fianna Fáil-Labour coalition government of 1993/1994 Quinn became Minister for Enterprise and Employment. Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Irish: Fianna Fáil - An Páirtí Poblachtánach), commonly referred to as Fianna Fáil (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... 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. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 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. ...

He oversaw the merger of the former Department of Industry and Commerce with the former Department of Labour, with a new focus on enterprise development and the reduction of the then high level of unemployment. Quinn implemented reform of industrial strategy and reorganised the industrial development agencies. He also introduced the Community Employment Programme to provide activity and involvement for unemployed workers in 1994. This proved to be particularly successful.

Quinn was seen as comfortable with the Fianna Fáil members of the cabinet. He also tended to be a moderniser in economic terms but, despite attempts, failed to close the Irish Steel company in Haulbowline, Co Cork, a classic loss-making smoke stack industry that harked back to an earlier era. Nevertheless, it was in August, 1994, while Quinn and Fianna Fáil's Bertie Ahern were economic ministers, that the Irish economy was first described as the "Celtic Tiger".

Quinn, along with many of his Labour cabinet colleagues, strove unsuccessfully to keep the Fianna Fáil Labour Government together during the Father Brendan Smyth crisis in November, 1994. He records in his autobiography that he still cannot understand why that Government fell.

Minister for Finance

The following year he became Minister for Finance in the Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left "rainbow coalition" government. Quinn took a relatively conservative line as Finance Minister, being conscious of his position as the first Labour Minister for Finance in Irish political history. He quickly proved his competence, dispelling opposition jibes and stock market fears about a social democratic minister holding the sensitive finance portfolio. The Irish economy continued to perform, while inflation and the government finances were kept under firm control. Unemployment gradually fell and public debt levels improved. The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government. ... 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... 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. ... Democratic Left was a socialist political party active primsrily in the Republic of Ireland, but also in Northern Ireland between 1992 and 1999. ...

During Quinn's tenure as Minister for Finance, the overall tax burden in Ireland (the ratio of tax revenue, including pay related social insurance levies, to gross national product) fell from 38.7% to 34.8%, of by 1.3 percentage points each year. He achieved this by limiting current government spending to grow by 6.8% in nominal terms or 4.8% in real terms, against a backdrop of improving economic fortunes, due to increasing investment in technology intensive sectors of the Irish economy. Quinn's successors have, in contrast, allowed government current spending to grow by 7.6% in real terms each year on average to 2006. The overall tax burden has only reduced by 1% since Quinn was Minister.

Under Quinn, the General Government Balance went from a deficit of 2.1% in 1995 to a surplus of 1.1% in 1997. The General Government Debt went from 81% of GNP in 1995 to 63.6% in 1997. The year before Quinn became an economic Minister in 1993, Irish economic growth was 2.5% (1992). In 1993 GNP growth was 3%; in 1994, 6.5%; in 1995, 8%; in 1996, 7.8%; and finally in 1997, 10.3%. Measures of national income and output are used in economics to estimate the value of goods and services produced in an economy. ...

The unemployment rate fell from 1993 to 1997 as follows: 15.7% in 1993; 14.7% in 1994; 12.2% in 1995; 11.9% in 1996; and finally, 10.3% in 1997.

Quinn served as the President of the Ecofin Council of the EU in 1996, and worked to accelerate the launch of the European Single Currency, whilst securing Ireland's qualification for the eurozone. Quinn, and his party leader and Tánaiste, Foreign Minister Dick Spring enjoyed a somewhat uneasy relationship during the Rainbow Coalition, as recounted in Quinn's 2005 memoir. Quinn's achievements in the Finance Ministry, were insufficiently highlighted to avert a reduction in the number of seats attained by his party, in the 1997 general election. Many other ministers of Quinn's own party were under significant pressure form the media (particularly the Irish Independent) concerning allegations of cronyism ("jobs for the boys") and abusing the priveleges of office. In comparison, the then opposition, under Bertie Ahern, placed heavy reliance on economic policy, and claimed credit for the country's improving economy. The Council of the European Union forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union (EU). ... “EUR” redirects here. ... The Eurozone (also called Euro Area, Eurosystem or Euroland) is the subset of European Union member states which have adopted the euro, creating a currency union. ... The Tánaiste (IPA: ; plural Tánaistí ), or, more formally, An Tánaiste[1], is the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Ireland. ... Richard Spring (born August 29, 1950 in Tralee County Kerry), is a businessman and former senior Irish politician. ... The Irish Independents header consists of its name and a green harp The Irish Independent is Irelands best-selling broadsheet newspaper. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ...

Leader of the Labour Party

Accession to Leadership

In October, 1997 Dick Spring retired as leader of the Labour Party following an unsuccessful campaign by the Labour Candidate, Adi Roche, in the Irish Presidential Election. Ruairi Quinn defeated Brendan Howlin to become the new leader. In 1999 the Labour Party and Democratic Left merged. Proinsias De Rossa of the latter party became president, while Quinn remained as leader of the party. He used the years of leadership to develop a strong policy platform, publishing a Spatial Strategy for future development of the country, promoting universal access to health insurance, advocating reform of the Garda Síochána (police), and arguing for closer European integration. Fianna Fáil countered by cleverly exploiting Quinn's comfortable middle class background, labelling him "Mr Angry from Sandymount," the middle class district of Dublin where Quinn is a longtime resident, and representative of, in the Dáil. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Spring (born August 29, 1950 in Tralee County Kerry), is a businessman and former senior Irish politician. ... Adi Roche ( 1955-present) is a campaigner for peace, humanitarian aid, and education. ... Official Seal of the President of Ireland Mary McAleese, the current President of Ireland. ... Brendan Howlin (born 1956) is an Irish Labour Party politician. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Democratic Left was a socialist political party active primsrily in the Republic of Ireland, but also in Northern Ireland between 1992 and 1999. ... Image:Derossa. ... Garda Síochána na hÉireann (pronounced ; Irish for Peace Guard of Ireland, often rendered[1] as The Guardians of the Peace of Ireland) is the police force of the Republic of Ireland. ... Sandymount (Dumhach Thrá in Irish) is a seaside village/suburb in the district of Dublin 4 in Ireland. ...

2002 General Election

In the 2002 General Election, which saw the ruling Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrat Government reelected, the Labour Party returned the exact same level of parliamentary seats it had held. Quinn fought that election on an independent platform although he indicated a preference to enter Government with the Fine Gael party he had served with in the Rainbow era. Quinn's strategy was predicated on Labour holding the balance of power and keeping a distance from the two bigger parties. This underestimated the attraction for the electorate of the outgoing Ahern Government that had enjoyed extraordinary economic growth and prosperity. The Progressive Democrats (in Irish An Páirtí Daonlathach) is a free market liberal party in the Republic of Ireland founded in 1985. ... Patrick Bartholomew Ahern (known as Bertie Ahern, Irish: ; born 12 September 1951 in Dublin) is an Irish politician. ...

Realising that the choice was between a majority Fianna Fáil Government on the one hand, or a Government of Fianna Fáil with a watchful partner on the other, the Progressive Democrats, through their President, Michael McDowell, a constituency rival of Quinn's, seized the moment and put themselves forward as the guarantor of the public interest in a new Fianna Fáil Government. This left Labour stranded and almost as irrelevant to the outcome of the election. Under the leadership of Michael Noonan and Jim Mitchell, Fine Gael conducted a disastrous campaign, alienating even their most traditional support with badly conceived policy proposals. This resulted in heavy Fine Gael losses, being reduced to 31 seats, their worst performance in decades. Michael McDowell (Irish: ;[1] born May, 1951) is a former Irish politician who led the Progressive Democrats political party from 11 September 2006 until 25 May 2007. ... Michael Noonan (Irish: ; 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. ... 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). ...

Meanwhile, the Progressive Democrats doubled their seats to eight and emerged with two full cabinet positions in a new coalition with Fianna Fáil. Quinn was gravely disappointed that failed to increase the number of seats his party held, in an election that resulted in new gains for other parties cliaming to represent working class interests. Realising that he would now be in oposition for another term, and seeking to spend more time with his young family, Quinn announced that he would not seek re-election as leader of the Labour Party, at the end of August, 2002.

Post-Leadership

In October,2002 Quinn's term as Party Leader expired and he retired as Labour leader, being replaced in a leadership election by Pat Rabbitte. He is still a TD, being Labour Party spokesperson on Enterprise Trade and Employment, and he leads the European Movement Ireland, a civil society organisation campaigning on European issues in Ireland. Quinn is also Vice-President and Treasurer of the Party of European Socialists. He is a brother of Lochlann Quinn, former Chairman of AIB Bank, and a first-cousin of Senator Feargal Quinn. His nephew, Oisín Quinn is a Labour Party Dublin City Councillor and Dáil candidate. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Pat Rabbitte (born May 18, 1949) is a senior Irish politician, who has been the leader of the Labour Party since 2002. ... The European Movement Ireland (EMI) is an independent voluntary membership organisation, which exists to promote the economic, political and social development of Europe and Irelands place in Europe. ... The Party of European Socialists (PES) is a European political party whose members are 33 social democratic, socialist and labour parties of the European Union member states as well as Norway. ... Allied Irish Banks plc (AIB),ISEQ: ALBK, LSE: ALBK, NYSE: AIB, FWB:AIB is a commercial bank based in Ireland not to be mistaken for Anglo Irish Bank. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... Feargal Quinn is an Irish politician, businessman and an independent member of the 22nd Seanad Éireann. ... Dublin City Council (Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath in Irish) refers to two different entities. ...

In 2005, his political memoir, "Straight Left", was published. As a literary genre, a memoir (from the Latin memoria, meaning memory) forms a subclass of autobiography, although it is an older form of writing. ... Straight Left was the name of a political group in Britain, and of a newspaper. ...

2007 General Election

Quinn was successfully reelected for the Labour Party in the 2007 General Election, and is considered a prime candidate for Ministerial duty if Labour is a part of the next Government. He increased his share of the poll by some 4% and was comfortably returned to the 30th Dail.

Political career

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

There is a tradition in Irish politics of having family members succeed each other, frequently in the same parliamentary seat. ...

External links

• Ruairi Quinn TD Website

This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database