Síle de Valera
Encyclopedia
Síle de Valera (ˈʃiːlʲə ˌdɛvəˈlɛrə) (born 17 December 1954), is a former Irish Fianna Fáil
politician. She was first elected a Teachta Dála
(TD) in 1977 serving as a member of Dáil Éireann
until 1981, and then again from 1987 to 2007, as well as being a Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) for Dublin
from 1979 to 1984. She served as Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands
from 1997 to 2002.
where she qualified as a career guidance teacher. Síle de Valera comes from a famed political dynasty. She is the granddaughter of Éamon de Valera
, Fianna Fáil
founder, Taoiseach
and third President of Ireland
. She is a niece of the former TD Vivion de Valera
and is a first cousin of the former Minister for Social Protection, Éamon Ó Cuív
.
. She was elected for the Dublin County Mid
constituency, which included the Tallaght
area of County Dublin
, being the youngest TD elected at that election. In June 1979 she was elected to the European Parliament
for a five-year term. Later that year, she was one of the Fianna Fáil TDs who criticised the policies of Taoiseach
Jack Lynch
in relation to Northern Ireland
and was a prominent supporter of Charles Haughey
, who succeeded him as Taoiseach in December 1979. She was highly critical of Margaret Thatcher
and became a noted supporter of the Anti H-Block movement. She called on nationalists to vote for Bobby Sands
in the 1981 by-election which he won. She also called on Fianna Fáil voters to give preference votes for Anti H Block candidates in the 1981 Election, a comment which caused controversy.
She held her Dáil seat until the 1981 general election
, when the constituency boundaries were redrawn. She sought re-election in the new constituency of Dublin South
. This caused tension within the Fianna Fáil party locally, as one of the other candidates, Séamus Brennan
, was a prominent opponent of Haughey. De Valera polled relatively well at that election, but narrowly failed to get elected, losing to another Fianna Fáil candidate, Niall Andrews
. She contested the constituency again at the February 1982 general election, but saw her vote drop and once again failed to be elected.
For the following November 1982 general election, she decided not to seek re-election in Dublin South, transferring instead to the Clare constituency, where one of the sitting TDs, Bill Loughnane
(a fellow supporter of Haughey), had died. Clare was the constituency that her grandfather, Éamon de Valera
, had represented from 1917 until 1959. Again, she narrowly failed to get elected, but remained living in the constituency, and at the 1987 general election
she was elected TD for Clare and was re-elected at every election until her retirement in 2007.
De Valera resigned from briefly from Fianna Fáil in 1993 due to the removal of the 'stopover' at Shannon Airport
. When she was persuaded to rejoin the party in 1994 the new leader, Bertie Ahern
, appointed her to the front bench. In 1997 she became Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht
and the Islands. In 2002 she lost her place at the Cabinet table but became a Minister of State
. Her final government office was Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science
, with special responsibility for Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage.
On 11 November 2005, she announced her intention to stand down from Dáil Éireann at the following election. She resigned as a Minister of State on 8 December 2006 and was replaced by a member of another Irish political dynasty, Seán Haughey
.
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. She was first elected 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) in 1977 serving as a member of Dáil Éireann
Dáil 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...
until 1981, and then again from 1987 to 2007, as well as being a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) for Dublin
Dublin (European Parliament constituency)
Dublin is a constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland. It elects 3 Members of the European Parliament using the single transferable vote form of proportional representation .-History and boundaries:...
from 1979 to 1984. She served as Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is a senior minister at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is Frances Fitzgerald, TD.-Overview:...
from 1997 to 2002.
Early and personal life
Síle de Valera was born in 1954 in Dublin, Ireland. She was educated at Loreto Convent, Dublin and University College DublinUniversity 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 she qualified as a career guidance teacher. Síle de Valera comes from a famed political dynasty. She is the granddaughter of Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, 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...
founder, 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...
and third President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
. She is a niece of the former TD Vivion de Valera
Vivion de Valera
Vivion de Valera was an Irish scientist, businessman, lawyer and politician. He was the eldest child of the former Taoiseach and President, Éamon de Valera and Sinéad de Valera and was named after his paternal grandfather, Juan Vivion de Valera...
and is a first cousin of the former Minister for Social Protection, Éamon Ó Cuív
Éamon Ó Cuív
Éamon Ó Cuív is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency since 1992 and was previously a member of Seanad Éireann.-Early life:...
.
Political career
She was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the Fianna Fáil landslide victory at the 1977 general electionIrish general election, 1977
The Irish general election of 1977 was held on 16 June 1977 and is regarded as a pivotal point in twentieth century Irish politics. The general election took place in 42 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 148 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann. The number of...
. She was elected for the Dublin County Mid
Dublin County Mid (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin County Mid was a short-lived parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1977 to 1981...
constituency, which included 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...
area of County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, being the youngest TD elected at that election. In June 1979 she was elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
for a five-year term. Later that year, she was one of the Fianna Fáil TDs who criticised the policies of 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...
Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
in relation to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and was a prominent supporter of 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...
, who succeeded him as Taoiseach in December 1979. She was highly critical of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and became a noted supporter of the Anti H-Block movement. She called on nationalists to vote for Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands
Robert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
in the 1981 by-election which he won. She also called on Fianna Fáil voters to give preference votes for Anti H Block candidates in the 1981 Election, a comment which caused controversy.
She held her Dáil seat until 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....
, when the constituency boundaries were redrawn. She sought re-election in the new constituency of Dublin South
Dublin South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
. This caused tension within the Fianna Fáil party locally, as one of the other candidates, Séamus Brennan
Séamus Brennan
Séamus Brennan was a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a Teachta Dála for Dublin South. He served as a Minister of State, Minister for Tourism and Transport , Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications , Minister for Education , Minister for Transport , Minister for Social and...
, was a prominent opponent of Haughey. De Valera polled relatively well at that election, but narrowly failed to get elected, losing to another Fianna Fáil candidate, Niall Andrews
Niall Andrews
Niall Andrews was an Irish politician. He served as a Teachta Dála and Member of the European Parliament for the Fianna Fáil party....
. She contested the constituency again at the February 1982 general election, but saw her vote drop and once again failed to be elected.
For the following November 1982 general election, she decided not to seek re-election in Dublin South, transferring instead to the Clare constituency, where one of the sitting TDs, Bill Loughnane
Bill Loughnane
William Loughnane was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A medical doctor by profession, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Clare-Galway South constituency at the 1969 general election. He was re-elected at the 1973 general election for the same constituency...
(a fellow supporter of Haughey), had died. Clare was the constituency that her grandfather, Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, had represented from 1917 until 1959. Again, she narrowly failed to get elected, but remained living in the constituency, and at the 1987 general election
Irish 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...
she was elected TD for Clare and was re-elected at every election until her retirement in 2007.
De Valera resigned from briefly from Fianna Fáil in 1993 due to the removal of the 'stopover' at Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
. When she was persuaded to rejoin the party in 1994 the new leader, Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
, appointed her to the front bench. In 1997 she became Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
and the Islands. In 2002 she lost her place at the Cabinet table but became a Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
. Her final government office was Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science
Department of Education and Science (Ireland)
The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...
, with special responsibility for Adult Education, Youth Affairs and Educational Disadvantage.
On 11 November 2005, she announced her intention to stand down from Dáil Éireann at the following election. She resigned as a Minister of State on 8 December 2006 and was replaced by a member of another Irish political dynasty, Seán Haughey
Seán Haughey
Seán Haughey is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North Central constituency from 1992 to 2011 and is a former Minister of State....
.