Austin Deasy facts for kids

Austin Deasy (born 26 August 1936 – died 10 June 2017) was an important Irish politician. He was a member of the Fine Gael political party.

He served as the Minister for Agriculture from 1982 to 1987. This means he was in charge of farming and food for the country.

Austin Deasy was also a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Waterford area. A TD is like a Member of Parliament in other countries; they represent their local area in the Irish parliament, called Dáil Éireann. He was a TD from 1977 to 2002. Before that, he was a Senator from 1973 to 1977. Senators are members of the upper house of the Irish parliament.

Early Life and Education

Austin Deasy was born in Dungarvan, County Waterford, in August 1936. He went to school in Dungarvan. Later, he studied at University College Cork.

In 1963, he became a qualified secondary school teacher. After finishing his studies, he started teaching at St. Augustine's College in Dungarvan.

Starting in Politics

Austin Deasy began his political journey in local government. In 1967, he was elected to the Dungarvan Urban District Council and the Waterford County Council. These councils look after local services in their areas. He served on these councils for many years.

He first tried to become a TD in the 1969 and 1973 elections, but he wasn't successful then.

However, in 1973, he was chosen by the Taoiseach (the head of the Irish government), Liam Cosgrave, to become a Senator. This was his first step into national politics.

Becoming a TD

Austin Deasy ran for election again in 1977. This time, he was successful and became a Teachta Dála (TD) for Waterford. His party, Fine Gael, was in opposition at that time.

He quickly became an important voice for his party. He was appointed to the Front Bench. This is a group of leading spokespeople for a political party. He was the spokesperson for Fisheries, then for Transport, Communications, and Technology.

Minister for Agriculture

In 1982, a new government was formed by a group of parties working together, called a coalition government. Austin Deasy was appointed as the Minister for Agriculture. This was a very important job, as he was responsible for farming and food policies in Ireland.

He held this position for four years, until the government changed in 1987. During his time as Minister, he was seen as very effective in his role.

Later Political Career

After his time as Minister, Austin Deasy continued to be an active TD. He held different spokesperson roles for his party, including for Tourism and Transport, Agriculture, and the Marine.

He sometimes disagreed with his party's leadership. For example, in 1988, he left the Fine Gael party for a short time. This was because he didn't agree with a plan where Fine Gael would support the government on money matters. He felt strongly about his beliefs. He later rejoined the party.

Austin Deasy retired from politics in 2002. His son, John Deasy, later became a TD for the same area.

Personal Life and Death

Austin Deasy was married to Kathleen Keating. They had four children: John, Jamie, Sally, and Jane.

He passed away on 10 June 2017, at the age of 80, after a short illness. He died at University Hospital Waterford.

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas