Mary Hanafin
Encyclopedia
Mary Hanafin is an Irish Fianna Fáil
politician who was a Teachta Dála
(TD) for Dún Laoghaire
from 1997 to 2011. She served as Government Chief Whip
(2002–04), Minister for Education and Science (2004–08), Minister for Social and Family Affairs (2008–10), Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport (2010–11) and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (2011).
She is currently Vice-President of the Fianna Fáil Party.
, County Tipperary
, Hanafin is the daughter of Des and Mona Hanafin. Her father was a businessman and Fianna Fáil
councillor who later served as a Senator
at various times for over twenty-five years from 1969 until 2002. Her brother, John Hanafin, was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2002–11.
Hanafin was educated at the Presentation Convent in Thurles and St. Patrick's College
in Maynooth
receiving a Bachelor of Arts
degree. She subsequently worked as a secondary school
teacher of Irish and History in the Dominican College Sion Hill
in Blackrock, Dublin. Hanafin also obtained a diploma in legal studies
at the Dublin Institute of Technology
.
, as well as being a senator for Fianna Fáil, was a founding member of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and a staunch opponent of contraception, abortion and divorce. She joined Ógra Fianna Fáil
aged fifteen and spoke at her first Ard Fheis
two years later. Hanafin first became involved in national politics in 1980 when, at the age of twenty-one, she was elected to the Fianna Fáil national executive, the party's ruling body.
She was elected to Dublin City Council
at the 1985 local elections for the Rathmines
local electoral area
and unsuccessfully contested a Dáil seat at the 1989 general election
for the Dublin South East
constituency. She lost her seat on Dublin City Council in 1991 and became involved in the running of the Fianna Fáil party. She was elected as national treasurer in 1993. Hanafin is also a former president of the National Youth Council of Ireland
.
on her second attempt at the 1997 general election
for the Dún Laoghaire constituency. In her first few years as a TD, she served on a number of Oireachtas
committees, including Education and Science, Heritage and the Irish language and Justice, Equality and Women's Affairs. In 2000, Hanafin was appointed Minister of State for Children, one of a number of new junior ministry positions created by the Government in 1997. She topped the poll in her constituency at the 2002 general election
and was appointed to the position of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
; also a junior (non-cabinet) ministry, but with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip
.
in September 2004, Hanafin became Minister for Education and Science. Among her activities in that post: She abandoned the compilation of school league tables initiated during the incumbency of her predecessor, Noel Dempsey
. School bus safety was prioritised for Hanafin following the death of five schoolgirls near Navan
, County Meath
in 2005. This has mandated the provision of one seat per child and of the mandatory usage of seatbelts in school buses. She announced plans for a possible change of entry requirements to third level medical education.
Hanafin was accused of bias towards private fee paying schools in her constituency when awarding building grants to them in 2005. Christian Brothers College, Monkstown Park and St. Andrew's College (Ireland) both received building grants for extensions and works on their buildings. Only Belvedere College
, Kilkenny College
and Loreto Beaufort, Rathfarnham had previously received money since 1995.
Hanafin was accused in February 2008, of being oblivious to the plight of parents of children with autism
, and of taking an imperious view, consistent with her decision to engage in a 68 day court battle with the parents who were attempting to obtain appropriate education for their children through the Applied behavior analysis
(ABA) method. She and her Department were accused of ignoring reality of autism education requirements. The mother, Yvonne Ui Cuanachain said: "Well I would reject the Minister's position quite completely and I feel it's actually quite cynically misrepresentative of the situation on the ground. The Department of Education does not support ABA, it does not support ABA within the ABA schools and neither does it support ABA within the eclectic classes."
During the course of the 2009 local elections, Hanafin became embroiled in a number of controversies. In late April, the Mail on Sunday ran a story claiming her office had improperly used Oireachtas envelopes, which are provided at taxpayer expense, to promote a campaign launch for her personal assistant Peter O'Brien who was a candidate in the Dún Laoghaire electoral area. In late May 2009, Hanafin became embroiled in further controversy when a national newspaper ran a story claiming her office had again used tax payer funded resources to promote O'Brien in correspondence to voters in the Dún Laoghaire constituency. O'Brien was not elected at the Local elections.
to the board of the Irish Sports Council on her last full day as Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister.
in January 2011, Hanafin was also appointed as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.
, Hanafin put her name forward as a candidate for leader of Fianna Fáil
. At the 2011 general election, Hanafin lost her Dail seat to Richard Boyd Barrett
of the United Left Alliance
. Following a brief withdrawal from public life, in April 2011 the Fianna Fáil National Executive appointed Hanafin as Vice-President of the party.
, in 1985. He died suddenly on 17 July 2003, aged 46. The couple had no children.
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...
politician who was a 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 Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dún Laoghaire is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
from 1997 to 2011. She served as Government Chief Whip
Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, officially styled as the Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip, is the Chief Whip of the Government of Ireland and is the most senior Minister of State...
(2002–04), Minister for Education and Science (2004–08), Minister for Social and Family Affairs (2008–10), Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport (2010–11) and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (2011).
She is currently Vice-President of the Fianna Fáil Party.
Early life
Born in ThurlesThurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, Hanafin is the daughter of Des and Mona Hanafin. Her father was a businessman and 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...
councillor who later served as a Senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
at various times for over twenty-five years from 1969 until 2002. Her brother, John Hanafin, was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2002–11.
Hanafin was educated at the Presentation Convent in Thurles and St. Patrick's College
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
in Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
receiving a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. She subsequently worked as a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
teacher of Irish and History in the Dominican College Sion Hill
Dominican College Sion Hill
Dominican College Sion Hill is one of the oldest girls' secondary schools in Ireland. It was founded in 1836 in Blackrock, County Dublin in Ireland. Its approach to education is based on the Dominican ideal of developing the whole person...
in Blackrock, Dublin. Hanafin also obtained a diploma in legal studies
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
at the Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology
Dublin Institute of Technology was established officially in 1992 under the but had been previously set up in 1978 on an ad-hoc basis. The institution can trace its origins back to 1887 with the establishment of various technical institutions in Dublin, Ireland...
.
Early political career
Hanafin was involved in politics from age 15. Her father, Des HanafinDes Hanafin
Desmond A. "Des" Hanafin is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a member of Seanad Éireann for over 30 years.-Personal life:Des Hanafin was born in Thurles, County Tipperary in 1930...
, as well as being a senator for Fianna Fáil, was a founding member of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and a staunch opponent of contraception, abortion and divorce. She joined Ógra Fianna Fáil
Ógra Fianna Fáil
Ógra Fianna Fáil is the youth wing of Fianna Fáil, a political party in Ireland. Within Fianna Fáil it is simply called Ógra . It was founded in 1975 by party leader Jack Lynch under the guidance of party general secretary, Séamus Brennan. In the Republic, it is active in some major Third Level...
aged fifteen and spoke at her first Ard Fheis
Ard Fheis
Ardfheis or Ard Fheis is the name used by many Irish political parties for their annual party conference. The term was first used by Conradh na Gaeilge, the Irish language cultural organisation, for its annual convention....
two years later. Hanafin first became involved in national politics in 1980 when, at the age of twenty-one, she was elected to the Fianna Fáil national executive, the party's ruling body.
She was elected to Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
at the 1985 local elections for the Rathmines
Rathmines
Rathmines is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It effectively begins at the south side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranelagh to the east and Harold's Cross to the west.Rathmines has...
local electoral area
Local electoral area
A local electoral area is a sub-division of a county and city-level local government used for electoral purposes in Ireland. Each local electoral area consists of a number of lower-level units known as district electoral divisions...
and unsuccessfully contested a Dáil seat at the 1989 general election
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...
for the Dublin South East
Dublin South East (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
constituency. She lost her seat on Dublin City Council in 1991 and became involved in the running of the Fianna Fáil party. She was elected as national treasurer in 1993. Hanafin is also a former president of the National Youth Council of Ireland
National Youth Council of Ireland
The National Youth Council of Ireland also known as the NYCI is a representative body for Irish youth organisations, a role that is recognised in the 2001 Youth Work Act...
.
Dáil career
Hanafin was elected to the Dáil ÉireannDáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
on her second attempt 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....
for the Dún Laoghaire constituency. In her first few years as a TD, she served on a number of Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
committees, including Education and Science, Heritage and the Irish language and Justice, Equality and Women's Affairs. In 2000, Hanafin was appointed Minister of State for Children, one of a number of new junior ministry positions created by the Government in 1997. She topped the poll in her constituency at 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...
and was appointed to the position of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach
The Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, officially styled as the Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip, is the Chief Whip of the Government of Ireland and is the most senior Minister of State...
; also a junior (non-cabinet) ministry, but with special responsibility as Government Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
.
Minister for Education and Science
Following a cabinet reshuffleCabinet shuffle
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle or reshuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet....
in September 2004, Hanafin became Minister for Education and Science. Among her activities in that post: She abandoned the compilation of school league tables initiated during the incumbency of her predecessor, Noel Dempsey
Noel Dempsey
Noel Dempsey is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Meath and Meath West constituencies from 1987 to 2011...
. School bus safety was prioritised for Hanafin following the death of five schoolgirls near Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 2005. This has mandated the provision of one seat per child and of the mandatory usage of seatbelts in school buses. She announced plans for a possible change of entry requirements to third level medical education.
Hanafin was accused of bias towards private fee paying schools in her constituency when awarding building grants to them in 2005. Christian Brothers College, Monkstown Park and St. Andrew's College (Ireland) both received building grants for extensions and works on their buildings. Only Belvedere College
Belvedere College
Belvedere College SJ is a private secondary school for boys located on Great Denmark Street, Dublin, Ireland. It is also known as St. Francis Xavier's College....
, Kilkenny College
Kilkenny College
Kilkenny College or KCK is a co-educational secondary school located in Kilkenny, in the South-East of Ireland. It is a private school which caters for both boarders and day students. It is the largest co-educational boarding school in Ireland...
and Loreto Beaufort, Rathfarnham had previously received money since 1995.
Hanafin was accused in February 2008, of being oblivious to the plight of parents of children with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, and of taking an imperious view, consistent with her decision to engage in a 68 day court battle with the parents who were attempting to obtain appropriate education for their children through the Applied behavior analysis
Applied Behavior Analysis
Applied behavior analysis is a science that involves using modern behavioral learning theory to modify behaviors. Behavior analysts reject the use of hypothetical constructs and focus on the observable relationship of behavior to the environment...
(ABA) method. She and her Department were accused of ignoring reality of autism education requirements. The mother, Yvonne Ui Cuanachain said: "Well I would reject the Minister's position quite completely and I feel it's actually quite cynically misrepresentative of the situation on the ground. The Department of Education does not support ABA, it does not support ABA within the ABA schools and neither does it support ABA within the eclectic classes."
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
On 7 May 2008, Hanafin was appointed as Minister for Social and Family Affairs.During the course of the 2009 local elections, Hanafin became embroiled in a number of controversies. In late April, the Mail on Sunday ran a story claiming her office had improperly used Oireachtas envelopes, which are provided at taxpayer expense, to promote a campaign launch for her personal assistant Peter O'Brien who was a candidate in the Dún Laoghaire electoral area. In late May 2009, Hanafin became embroiled in further controversy when a national newspaper ran a story claiming her office had again used tax payer funded resources to promote O'Brien in correspondence to voters in the Dún Laoghaire constituency. O'Brien was not elected at the Local elections.
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport
On 23 March 2010, Hanafin was moved from Social and Family Affairs to the Tourism, Culture and Sport portfolio. She appointed a Fianna Fáil councillor and friend of Brian CowenBrian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
to the board of the Irish Sports Council on her last full day as Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
Following the resignation of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe
Bartholomew "Batt" O'Keeffe is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála and Senator from 1989 to 2011. He also served as Minister for Education and Science and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation .-Early and personal life:O'Keeffe was born in Cullen, County...
in January 2011, Hanafin was also appointed as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.
2011 general election
On 22 January 2011, after the resignation of Brian CowenBrian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
, Hanafin put her name forward as a candidate for leader of 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...
. At the 2011 general election, Hanafin lost her Dail seat to Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett is an Irish politician who is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency.Boyd Barrett is a former member of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and chair of the Irish Anti-War Movement and is frequently cited in the Irish media...
of the United Left Alliance
United Left Alliance
The United Left Alliance is an electoral alliance of left-wing political parties and independent politicians in the Republic of Ireland, formed to contest the 2011 general election...
. Following a brief withdrawal from public life, in April 2011 the Fianna Fáil National Executive appointed Hanafin as Vice-President of the party.
Personal life
Hanafin married Eamon Leahy, a senior counselSenior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
, in 1985. He died suddenly on 17 July 2003, aged 46. The couple had no children.