Alan Dukes
Encyclopedia
Alan Dukes is a former Irish
politician who served as leader of the Fine Gael
political party
and Teachta Dála
(TD) for Kildare
and Kildare South. He holds the distinction of being one of only five TDs to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. He lost his seat in the 2002 general election
. He was subsequently appointed Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs
and chairman of Anglo Irish Bank
.
in 1945. His father, James F. Dukes, was originally from Tralee, County Kerry and was a senior civil servant, the founding Chairman and Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority
, while his mother was from near Ballina
, County Mayo
.
The Dukes family originally came from the north of England. His grandfather had served with the Royal Engineers
in World War I
, and settled in Cork and then Kerry afterwards where he worked with the Post Office creating Ireland's telephone network. He also developed a keen interest in the Irish language
, which is something shared by his grandson.
He was educated by the Christian Brothers
at Colaiste Mhuire, Parnell Square and was offered a number of scholarships for third level on graduation, including one for the Irish language. His interest in the Irish language continues to this day, and he regularly appears on Irish language television programmes.
On leaving school, he attended University College Dublin
where he captained the fencing team to its first ever Intervarsity title.
(IFA) in Dublin. After Ireland joined the European Economic Community
(EEC) in 1973, he moved to Brussels
where he was part of the IFA's delegation. In this role he was influential in framing Ireland's contribution to the Common Agriculture Policy.
He moved on from this IFA position to become chief of staff to Ireland's EEC commissioner Dick Burke, a former Fine Gael
politician.
Dukes stood as a Fine Gael candidate in the Munster
constituency. He was on course to be elected thanks to strong farming support until the entry of farming leader T. J. Maher
as an independent
candidate. Maher subsequently topped the poll.
He stood again for Fine Gael in the 1981 general election
in the expanded constituency of Kildare
, where he won a seat in the 22nd Dáil. On his first day in the Dáil he was appointed Minister for Agriculture by the Taoiseach
, Garret FitzGerald
, becoming one of only five TD's so appointed. He held this seat for 21 years.
This minority Fine Gael–Labour Party
coalition government collapsed in February 1982 over controversial budget reforms, but returned to power with a working majority in December of that year. Dukes was again called into the cabinet becoming Minister for Finance
less than two years into his Dáil career.
He faced a difficult task as Finance Minister at this time. Ireland was heavily in debt while unemployment and emigration were high. Many of Fine Gael's ambitious plans had to be deferred while the Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition disagreed on how to solve the economic crisis. The challenge of addressing the national finances was made difficult by electoral arithmetic and a lack of support from the opposition Fianna Fáil
party led by Charles Haughey
.
Dukes remained in the Department of Finance until the withdrawal of the Labour Party members from the government in 1986. As part of the subsequent reshuffle, he was appointed Minister for Justice.
, and lost 20 of their 70 seats, most to the new Progressive Democrats
party. Outgoing Taoiseach and leader Garret FitzGerald stepped down and Dukes was elected leader of Fine Gael. He also became Leader of the Opposition.
This was a difficult time for the country. Haughey's Fianna Fáil had fought the election on promises to increase spending and government services, and by attacking the cutbacks favoured by Fine Gael. The campaign produced the famous Fianna Fáil slogan that cuts in health spending affect the "old, the sick and the handicapped". However on taking office, the new Taoiseach and his Finance Minister Ray MacSharry
immediately drew up a drastic set of cutbacks including a spate of ward and hospital closures. This presented a political opportunity for the opposition to attack the government.
However addressing a meeting of the Tallaght
Chamber of Commerce
, Dukes announced that:
This bold step became known as the Tallaght Strategy
, and represented a major departure in Irish politics whereby Fine Gael would vote with the minority Fianna Fáil Government if it adopted Fine Gael's economic policies for revitalising the economy.
The consequences of this statement were huge. The Haughey government was able to take severe corrective steps to restructure the economy and lay the foundations for the economic boom of the nineties. However, at a snap election in 1989
Dukes did not receive electoral credit for his statesmanlike approach, and the party only made minor gains, reclaiming 5 of the 20 lost seats. The outcome was the first ever coalition government for Fianna Fáil, whose junior partner were the Progressive Democrats
led by former Fianna Fáil TD Desmond O'Malley
.
. Fine Gael chose Austin Currie
TD as their candidate. He had been a leading member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
movement in the 1960s and had been a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP) before moving south.
Initially, Fianna Fáil's Brian Lenihan had been favourite to win, however after a number of controversies arising from the brief Fianna Fáil administration of 1981–82, and Lenihan's dismissal as Minister for Defence
mid-way through the campaign, the Labour Party's Mary Robinson
emerged victorious. To many in Fine Gael, the humiliation of finishing third was too much to bear and a heave was launched against Dukes. He was subsequently replaced as party leader by John Bruton
.
. In February 1994 Dukes became involved in a failed attempt to oust Bruton as leader and subsequently resigned from the front bench. In December 1994 Bruton became Taoiseach
, but Dukes failed to secure a ministerial position despite being one of the most high profile and experienced members of Fine Gael.
Two years later, in December 1996, Dukes returned as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
following the resignation of Michael Lowry
. At the 1997 general election
, Dukes topped the poll in the new Kildare South constituency, but Fine Gael lost power and Dukes became Chairman of the Irish Council of the European Movement. In this position he was very involved in advising many of the Eastern European countries who were then applying to join the European Union
.
In 2001 he backed Michael Noonan
in his bid to become leader of Fine Gael. Noonan was successful.
. This contest saw many high profile casualties for Fine Gael, including Deputy Leader Jim Mitchell, former Deputy Leader Nora Owen
and others. Many local commentators felt that the loss was down to a lack of attention to local issues, as Dukes was highly involved in European projects and had always enjoyed a national profile.
He retired from politics in 2002, and was subsequently appointed Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs. He remained active within Fine Gael, and served a number of terms as the party's Vice President.
In December 2008, he was appointed by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, Jnr
as a public interest director on the board of Anglo Irish Bank
. The bank was subsequently nationalised, and he continues to serve on the board.
In January 2009, Dukes was a judge on the TG4
reality TV show Feirm Factor.
Dukes receives annual pension payments of €129,805.
from 1999 until her retirement in 2009. She served as the county's mayor in 2006-07, becoming only the second woman to hold the position in the body's hundred year history. They have two daughters.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
politician who served as leader of the Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for Kildare
Kildare (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Kildare was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1923 to 1937 and from 1948 to 1997...
and Kildare South. He holds the distinction of being one of only five TDs to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. He lost his seat in the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
. He was subsequently appointed Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs
Institute of International and European Affairs
The Institute of International and European Affairs is Ireland’s leading think tank on European and International affairs and is an independent, not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. Its extensive research programme aims to provide its members with high-level analysis and forecasts...
and chairman of Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank was a bank based in Ireland with its headquarters in Dublin from 1964 to 2011. It went into wind-down mode after nationalisation in 2009....
.
Early life
Dukes was born in DrimnaghDrimnagh
Drimnagh is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city between Walkinstown, Crumlin and Inchicore, bordering the Grand Canal to the north and east. Drimnagh is in postal district Dublin 12.-Early to Medieval:...
in 1945. His father, James F. Dukes, was originally from Tralee, County Kerry and was a senior civil servant, the founding Chairman and Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority
Higher Education Authority
The Higher Education Authority is the authority in Ireland with responsibility for higher education since 1968 and placed on a statutory basis in 1971. The authority supports HEAnet, part of the GEANT network....
, while his mother was from near Ballina
Ballina, County Mayo
Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo in Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west...
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
.
The Dukes family originally came from the north of England. His grandfather had served with the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and settled in Cork and then Kerry afterwards where he worked with the Post Office creating Ireland's telephone network. He also developed a keen interest in the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, which is something shared by his grandson.
He was educated by the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
at Colaiste Mhuire, Parnell Square and was offered a number of scholarships for third level on graduation, including one for the Irish language. His interest in the Irish language continues to this day, and he regularly appears on Irish language television programmes.
On leaving school, he attended University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
where he captained the fencing team to its first ever Intervarsity title.
Career before politics
In 1969 he became an economist with the Irish Farmers' AssociationIrish Farmers' Association
The Irish Farmers' Association is a national organisation to represent the interests of all sectors of farming in the Republic of Ireland...
(IFA) in Dublin. After Ireland joined the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(EEC) in 1973, he moved to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
where he was part of the IFA's delegation. In this role he was influential in framing Ireland's contribution to the Common Agriculture Policy.
He moved on from this IFA position to become chief of staff to Ireland's EEC commissioner Dick Burke, a former Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician.
Early political career
In the 1979 European Parliament electionsEuropean Parliament election, 1979 (Ireland)
The 1979 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1979 European Parliament election. These were the first direct elections to the European Parliament...
Dukes stood as a Fine Gael candidate in the Munster
Munster (European Parliament constituency)
-1999 election :All sitting MEPs were re-elected.-1994 election:The constituency lost a seat and T. J. Maher and Gene Fitzgerald retired...
constituency. He was on course to be elected thanks to strong farming support until the entry of farming leader T. J. Maher
T. J. Maher
Thomas Joseph Maher was an Irish politician and farmers' leader.He was born on a small farm near Cashel, County Tipperary in 1922. He was educated locally and became a member of Macra na Feirme. He was a founder member of National Farmers' Association in 1955. He became the President of the IFA...
as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate. Maher subsequently topped the poll.
He stood again for Fine Gael in the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
in the expanded constituency of Kildare
Kildare (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Kildare was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1923 to 1937 and from 1948 to 1997...
, where he won a seat in the 22nd Dáil. On his first day in the Dáil he was appointed Minister for Agriculture by the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
, becoming one of only five TD's so appointed. He held this seat for 21 years.
This minority Fine Gael–Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
coalition government collapsed in February 1982 over controversial budget reforms, but returned to power with a working majority in December of that year. Dukes was again called into the cabinet becoming Minister for Finance
Minister for Finance (Ireland)
The Minister for Finance is the title held by the Irish government minister responsible for all financial and monetary matters. The office-holder controls the Department of Finance and is considered one of the most important members of the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Finance is...
less than two years into his Dáil career.
He faced a difficult task as Finance Minister at this time. Ireland was heavily in debt while unemployment and emigration were high. Many of Fine Gael's ambitious plans had to be deferred while the Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition disagreed on how to solve the economic crisis. The challenge of addressing the national finances was made difficult by electoral arithmetic and a lack of support from the opposition Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
party led by Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
.
Dukes remained in the Department of Finance until the withdrawal of the Labour Party members from the government in 1986. As part of the subsequent reshuffle, he was appointed Minister for Justice.
Leadership of Fine Gael
Fine Gael failed to win re-election in the 1987 general electionIrish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
, and lost 20 of their 70 seats, most to the new Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
party. Outgoing Taoiseach and leader Garret FitzGerald stepped down and Dukes was elected leader of Fine Gael. He also became Leader of the Opposition.
This was a difficult time for the country. Haughey's Fianna Fáil had fought the election on promises to increase spending and government services, and by attacking the cutbacks favoured by Fine Gael. The campaign produced the famous Fianna Fáil slogan that cuts in health spending affect the "old, the sick and the handicapped". However on taking office, the new Taoiseach and his Finance Minister Ray MacSharry
Ray MacSharry
Raymond MacSharry is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who served in a range of cabinet positions, most notably as Tánaiste, Minister for Finance and European Commissioner.-Early life:...
immediately drew up a drastic set of cutbacks including a spate of ward and hospital closures. This presented a political opportunity for the opposition to attack the government.
However addressing a meeting of the Tallaght
Tallaght
Tallaght is the largest town, and county town, of South Dublin County, Ireland. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, held one of the earliest settlements known in the southern part of the island, and one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres.Up to the 1960s...
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, Dukes announced that:
This bold step became known as the Tallaght Strategy
Tallaght Strategy
In Irish politics, the Tallaght Strategy was a policy followed by the Fine Gael party starting in 1987. Under this policy, the Fine Gael opposition party would not oppose economic reforms proposed by the Fianna Fáil minority government in the national interest...
, and represented a major departure in Irish politics whereby Fine Gael would vote with the minority Fianna Fáil Government if it adopted Fine Gael's economic policies for revitalising the economy.
The consequences of this statement were huge. The Haughey government was able to take severe corrective steps to restructure the economy and lay the foundations for the economic boom of the nineties. However, at a snap election in 1989
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
Dukes did not receive electoral credit for his statesmanlike approach, and the party only made minor gains, reclaiming 5 of the 20 lost seats. The outcome was the first ever coalition government for Fianna Fáil, whose junior partner were the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
led by former Fianna Fáil TD Desmond O'Malley
Desmond O'Malley
Desmond Joseph "Des" O'Malley is a former Irish politician.Born in Limerick, O'Malley was raised in a local political dynasty that had a strong association with Fianna Fáil. Elected to Dáil Éireann in 1968, he quickly became a trusted confidante of Taoiseach Jack Lynch...
.
1990 presidential election and loss of the leadership
Dukes received little credit for the Tallaght Strategy, and the party's failure to make significant gains in 1989 left some Fine Gael TDs with a desire for a change at the top. Their opportunity came in the wake of the historic 1990 presidential electionIrish presidential election, 1990
-Aftermath:While the role of the presidency in day to day politics is a very limited one the Robinson presidency is regarded by many observers as a watershed in Irish society symbolising the shift away from the conservative ultracatholic male-dominated Ireland which existed up until the end of the...
. Fine Gael chose Austin Currie
Austin Currie
Austin Currie is a former politician who was elected to the parliaments of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland....
TD as their candidate. He had been a leading member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
movement in the 1960s and had been a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) before moving south.
Initially, Fianna Fáil's Brian Lenihan had been favourite to win, however after a number of controversies arising from the brief Fianna Fáil administration of 1981–82, and Lenihan's dismissal as Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
mid-way through the campaign, the Labour Party's Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
emerged victorious. To many in Fine Gael, the humiliation of finishing third was too much to bear and a heave was launched against Dukes. He was subsequently replaced as party leader by John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
.
Rainbow Coalition
In September 1992 the new leader, John Bruton, brought him back to the front bench, shortly before the general election in NovemberIrish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
. In February 1994 Dukes became involved in a failed attempt to oust Bruton as leader and subsequently resigned from the front bench. In December 1994 Bruton became Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, but Dukes failed to secure a ministerial position despite being one of the most high profile and experienced members of Fine Gael.
Two years later, in December 1996, Dukes returned as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
Minister for Transport (Ireland)
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
following the resignation of Michael Lowry
Michael Lowry
Michael Lowry is an Irish politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Tipperary North constituency and continues to enjoy high popularity in his constituency despite being the subject of a criminal investigation resulting from various scandals while in office.-Local government and...
. At the 1997 general election
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
, Dukes topped the poll in the new Kildare South constituency, but Fine Gael lost power and Dukes became Chairman of the Irish Council of the European Movement. In this position he was very involved in advising many of the Eastern European countries who were then applying to join the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
In 2001 he backed Michael Noonan
Michael Noonan
Michael Noonan is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been the Minister for Finance since March 2011. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Limerick East and later Limerick City constituencies since 1981....
in his bid to become leader of Fine Gael. Noonan was successful.
Career post-politics
After 21 years, Dukes lost his Dáil seat in the general election of 2002Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
. This contest saw many high profile casualties for Fine Gael, including Deputy Leader Jim Mitchell, former Deputy Leader Nora Owen
Nora Owen
Nora Owen , is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. She was a Teachta Dála for Dublin North from 1981 to 1987 and from 1989 to 2002. She also served as Minister for Justice from 1994 to 1997.-Early life:...
and others. Many local commentators felt that the loss was down to a lack of attention to local issues, as Dukes was highly involved in European projects and had always enjoyed a national profile.
He retired from politics in 2002, and was subsequently appointed Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs. He remained active within Fine Gael, and served a number of terms as the party's Vice President.
In December 2008, he was appointed by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, Jnr
Brian Lenihan, Jnr
Brian Joseph Lenihan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister who served in the government of Ireland as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2007 to 2008 and as Minister for Finance from 2008 to 2011...
as a public interest director on the board of Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank was a bank based in Ireland with its headquarters in Dublin from 1964 to 2011. It went into wind-down mode after nationalisation in 2009....
. The bank was subsequently nationalised, and he continues to serve on the board.
In January 2009, Dukes was a judge on the TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
reality TV show Feirm Factor.
Dukes receives annual pension payments of €129,805.
Personal life
Dukes has lived in Kildare Town since first being elected to represent the Kildare constituency in 1981. His wife Fionnuala is a former local politician and served as a member of Kildare County CouncilKildare County Council
Kildare County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Kildare in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The council is governed by the Local Government...
from 1999 until her retirement in 2009. She served as the county's mayor in 2006-07, becoming only the second woman to hold the position in the body's hundred year history. They have two daughters.