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 1 August 1950) is a former Irish politician for the Fine Gael party. She held many important jobs in the Irish government. She was the Tánaiste, which is the deputy prime minister of Ireland, from 2016 to 2017.
Over her long career, Fitzgerald served as a government minister in several departments. These included Minister for Business, Minister for Justice, and Minister for Children. She was also a Teachta Dála (TD), which is a member of the Irish parliament, and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).
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Early Life and Education
Frances Fitzgerald was born in Croom, a town in County Limerick, Ireland. She went to several schools, including the Holy Family Secondary School in Newbridge and the Dominican College Sion Hill in Dublin.
For college, she studied at University College Dublin. She then went to the London School of Economics to earn a master's degree in social work. Before becoming a politician, she worked as a social worker, helping people and families in her community.
She is married to Michael Fitzgerald, a professor of psychiatry, and they have three sons.
Political Career in Ireland
Frances Fitzgerald's career in politics began when she was elected to the Dáil Éireann, Ireland's main house of parliament. She represented the Fine Gael party.
Working for Women's Rights
Before she was elected as a TD, Fitzgerald was a well-known leader for women's rights. From 1988 to 1992, she was the Chair of the Council for the Status of Women. In this role, she worked to make sure women were treated fairly.
Member of Parliament (TD)
In 1992, Fitzgerald was first elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-East area. She was re-elected in 1997 but lost her seat in the 2002 election.
She returned to parliament in 2011, this time as a TD for Dublin Mid-West. She was re-elected in 2016 and served as a TD until 2019.
Serving in the Seanad
After losing her Dáil seat in 2002, Fitzgerald continued to be active in politics. In 2007, she was elected to the Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Irish parliament. She became the leader of the Fine Gael group in the Seanad.
Working as a Government Minister
As a senior politician, Frances Fitzgerald was chosen to lead several government departments. These roles are called ministries, and the person in charge is a minister.
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2011–2014)
In 2011, Fitzgerald became Ireland's first-ever Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. This was a new department created to focus on the needs of young people.
One of her biggest achievements was a special vote, or referendum, in 2012. This vote added new rights for children into the Irish Constitution. She also created new laws to help protect children from harm and to raise awareness about their safety.
Minister for Justice and Equality (2014–2017)
In 2014, Fitzgerald was appointed Minister for Justice and Equality. In this job, she was in charge of the police force (Garda Síochána), the courts, and making sure laws were fair for everyone.
She often spoke about the need for the government to support families. She wanted more help for parents with things like childcare and time off work to be with their children.
In 2016, she was reappointed as Minister for Justice and also became the Tánaiste, or deputy prime minister. This made her one of the most powerful people in the government.
Resignation in 2017
In November 2017, a difficult situation arose in the government. There was a disagreement about how Fitzgerald had handled information related to a police whistleblower (a person who reports problems inside an organisation).
To prevent the disagreement from causing problems for the government, she decided to step down from her roles as Tánaiste and Minister. She said she was doing this to protect the country's interests.
Later, official reports in 2018 found that she had done nothing wrong and had acted correctly.
Career in the European Parliament
In 2019, Frances Fitzgerald was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Dublin. The European Parliament makes laws for the whole European Union. As an MEP, she represented the people of Dublin in Europe.
She served as an MEP until 2024. In November 2023, she announced that she would not run for re-election.
In March 2024, she received an award from The Parliament Magazine for her work in supporting European values.
