Frances Fitzgerald (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Fitzgerald
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Fitzgerald in 2016
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| Tánaiste | |
| In office 6 May 2016 – 28 November 2017 |
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| Taoiseach | |
| Preceded by | Joan Burton |
| Succeeded by | Simon Coveney |
| Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation | |
| In office 14 June 2017 – 28 November 2017 |
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| Taoiseach | Leo Varadkar |
| Preceded by | Mary Mitchell O'Connor |
| Succeeded by | Heather Humphreys |
| Minister for Justice and Equality | |
| In office 8 May 2014 – 14 June 2017 |
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| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Alan Shatter |
| Succeeded by | Charles Flanagan |
| Minister for Children and Youth Affairs | |
| In office 9 March 2011 – 7 May 2014 |
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| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | Charles Flanagan |
| Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad | |
| In office 13 September 2007 – 25 February 2011 |
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| Leader | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Michael Finucane |
| Succeeded by | Maurice Cummins |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 2 July 2019 – 17 July 2024 |
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| Constituency | Dublin |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 2011 – July 2019 |
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| Constituency | Dublin Mid-West |
| In office November 1992 – June 2002 |
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| Constituency | Dublin South-East |
| Senator | |
| In office 13 September 2007 – 25 February 2011 |
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| Constituency | Labour Panel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frances Ryan
1 August 1950 Croom, County Limerick, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Dominican College Sion Hill |
| Alma mater |
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Frances Fitzgerald (born Frances Ryan on August 1, 1950) is a well-known former Irish politician. She was a member of the Fine Gael political party. She held many important jobs in the Irish government.
Frances Fitzgerald served as Tánaiste (which is like a Deputy Prime Minister) from 2016 to 2017. She was also a Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, a Minister for Justice and Equality, and a Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
She was a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish Parliament, for many years. She also served as a Senator and, more recently, as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing Dublin from 2019 to 2024.
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Early Life and Education
Frances Ryan was born in Croom, County Limerick, Ireland. She went to school at Holy Family Secondary School Newbridge and Dominican College Sion Hill.
She continued her studies at University College Dublin and the London School of Economics. There, she earned a master's degree in Social Administration and Social Work. Before becoming a politician, she worked as a social worker.
Frances Fitzgerald is married to Professor Michael Fitzgerald. They have three sons together.
Starting Her Political Journey
Frances Fitzgerald first became a TD (Member of Parliament) in 1992. She represented the Dublin South-East area. She kept her seat in the 1997 election but lost it in 2002.
Before becoming a TD, she was the important Chair of the Council for the Status of Women from 1988 to 1992. This group worked to improve the lives of women.
In 2007, she was elected to the Seanad, which is the upper house of the Irish Parliament. She became the leader of the Fine Gael group there.
Important Government Roles
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2011–2014)
In 2011, Frances Fitzgerald was elected as a TD for Dublin Mid-West. Soon after, she was made Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
During this time, she led a very important change to the Irish Constitution. This change, called the referendum on children's rights, added new protections for children in 2012. She also introduced "Children First" laws to make child protection even better.
Minister for Justice and Equality (2014–2017)
In 2014, Frances Fitzgerald became the Minister for Justice and Equality. This is a very important role, dealing with laws and fairness in the country.
She often spoke about the need for the government to help young families more. She believed the State should do more to support childcare, paternity leave, and parental leave. She wanted the government to be more active in helping parents and children.
When there was an increase in gang activity in Dublin in 2016, she promised that there would be a special armed police unit to deal with it.
Becoming Tánaiste (2016–2017)
In May 2016, Frances Fitzgerald was reappointed as Minister for Justice and Equality. She was also given the very high position of Tánaiste by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Enda Kenny. This made her the second Fine Gael politician ever to be Tánaiste.
When Enda Kenny stepped down as leader of Fine Gael, Frances Fitzgerald thought about running for the leadership herself. However, she decided not to. When Leo Varadkar became the new leader and Taoiseach, he kept her as Tánaiste. He also moved her to a new role as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
Her Resignation and Clearing
In November 2017, Frances Fitzgerald resigned from her government roles. This happened after some questions were raised about how she handled information related to a police whistleblower. A whistleblower is someone who reveals wrongdoing.
Even though she denied any wrongdoing, she resigned to help the country's political situation. Later, two reports, the Collins Report (2018) and the Disclosures Tribunal (2018), looked into the matter. Both reports found that she had acted properly and "selflessly" resigned for the good of the country.
European Parliament Role
In 2019, Frances Fitzgerald ran for election to the European Parliament. She was elected as an MEP for the Dublin area. As an MEP, she worked on issues that affect all of Europe.
In 2023, she announced that she would not run for re-election in 2024. In March 2024, she won an award called "European Values Champion of the Mandate" for her work as an MEP.
