Joan Burton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joan Burton
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Burton in 2017
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| Tánaiste | |
| In office 4 July 2014 – 6 May 2016 |
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| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Eamon Gilmore |
| Succeeded by | Frances Fitzgerald |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 4 July 2014 – 20 May 2016 |
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| Deputy | Alan Kelly |
| Preceded by | Eamon Gilmore |
| Succeeded by | Brendan Howlin |
| Minister for Social Protection | |
| In office 9 March 2011 – 6 May 2016 |
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| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Éamon Ó Cuív |
| Succeeded by | Leo Varadkar |
| Deputy leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 4 October 2007 – 4 July 2014 |
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| Leader | Eamon Gilmore |
| Preceded by | Liz McManus |
| Succeeded by | Alan Kelly |
| Minister of State | |
| 1994–1997 | Foreign Affairs |
| 1993–1994 | Social Welfare |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office May 2002 – February 2020 |
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| In office November 1992 – June 1997 |
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| Constituency | Dublin West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 February 1949 Stoneybatter, Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Spouse |
Patrick Carroll
(m. 1978) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Joan Burton (born 1 February 1949) is an Irish former politician. She was a member of the Labour Party. She held important roles in the Irish government. From 2014 to 2016, she was the Tánaiste, which is like a Deputy Prime Minister. She also led the Labour Party during this time.
Joan Burton was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin West area. A TD is a member of the Irish parliament, called Dáil Éireann. She served as a TD from 1992 to 1997 and again from 2002 to 2020. She was also the Minister for Social Protection from 2011 to 2016. This role involved looking after social welfare and support for people.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Joan Burton was born in Stoneybatter, a part of Dublin, Ireland. She was adopted as a baby and grew up in Inchicore. Her adoptive father worked in a local iron factory.
She went to school at St. Gabriel's NS and St. Joseph Sisters of Charity Secondary School. Later, she studied at University College Dublin (UCD) and earned a degree in commerce. She also became a qualified accountant. Before becoming a full-time politician, she taught accountancy at the Dublin Institute of Technology and a university in Tanzania.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
Joan Burton first tried to get elected in 1989 but was not successful. In 1991, she was elected to Dublin County Council, which is a local government body.
She was first elected as a TD in the 1992 Irish general election. This meant she won a seat in the Dáil, Ireland's parliament. She became a Minister of State for Social Welfare, focusing on poverty. Later, she became a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1997.
Losing and Regaining Her Seat
In the 1997 Irish general election, Joan Burton lost her seat in the Dáil. However, she was re-elected to Fingal County Council in 1999. She successfully won back her Dáil seat for Dublin West in the 2002 Irish general election. After this, she became the Labour Party's spokesperson for finance.
Becoming Deputy Leader
In September 2007, Joan Burton became the deputy leader of the Labour Party. She was re-elected as a TD for Dublin West in the 2011 Irish general election. She received a very high number of votes, showing strong support from her local area.
Leading the Labour Party
In 2014, the Labour Party had some difficult election results. This led to the resignation of the party leader, Eamon Gilmore. Joan Burton decided to run for the leadership role. On 4 July 2014, she won the election and became the new leader of the Labour Party. She was the first woman to ever lead the party.
On the same day, the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Enda Kenny, appointed her as the Tánaiste. This made her the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland. As leader and Tánaiste, she worked to protect social welfare payments and increase the minimum wage.
In the 2016 Irish general election, Joan Burton managed to keep her seat in Dublin West, even though some predictions suggested she might lose it. However, the Labour Party lost many seats in this election. After the election, she continued as Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection for a short time while a new government was being formed.
On 10 May 2016, she announced that she would step down as Labour Party leader. Her replacement, Brendan Howlin, was chosen on 20 May 2016.
End of Her Time in Dáil Éireann
Joan Burton lost her seat in the 2020 Irish general election. This marked the end of her long career as a Teachta Dála.
