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Frances Fitzgerald
Frances Fitzgerald 2016.jpg
Fitzgerald in 2016
Tánaiste
In office
6 May 2016 – 28 November 2017
Taoiseach
Preceded by Joan Burton
Succeeded by Simon Coveney
Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation
In office
14 June 2017 – 28 November 2017
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
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
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
Leader Enda Kenny
Preceded by Michael Finucane
Succeeded by Maurice Cummins
Member of the European Parliament
In office
2 July 2019 – 17 July 2024
Constituency Dublin
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2011 – July 2019
Constituency Dublin Mid-West
In office
November 1992 – June 2002
Constituency Dublin South-East
Senator
In office
13 September 2007 – 25 February 2011
Constituency Labour Panel
Personal details
Born
Frances Ryan

(1950-08-01) 1 August 1950 (age 74)
Croom, County Limerick, Ireland
Political party Fine Gael
Spouse
(m. 1990)
Children 3
Education Dominican College Sion Hill
Alma mater

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.

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.

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