Eithne FitzGerald

Eithne FitzGerald
Minister of State
1994–1997Enterprise and Employment
1993–1997Tánaiste
1993–1994Finance
Teachta Dála
In office
November 1992 – June 1997
ConstituencyDublin South
Personal details
Born
Eithne Ingoldsby

(1950-11-28) 28 November 1950 (age 73)
Dublin, Ireland
Political partyLabour Party
Spouse
​
(m. 1989)​
Children3
Alma materUniversity College Dublin

Eithne FitzGerald (née Ingoldsby; born 28 November 1950) is an Irish economist and former Labour Party politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South constituency from 1992 to 1997.[1] She was a Minister of State in both the 23rd Government of Ireland and the 24th Government of Ireland during her single term as a TD.

She stood unsuccessfully four times for Dáil Éireann at various general elections in the Dublin South constituency, before being elected as TD at the 1992 general election.[2] On that occasion, she topped the poll with the highest first preference vote of any candidate in the country. In January 1993 Labour entered into a coalition government with Fianna Fáil, and FitzGerald was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of the Tánaiste and the National Development Plan.[3] Labour withdrew from the government in November 1994.[4]

In December 1994, the Rainbow Coalition was formed of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left. FitzGerald was appointed as Minister of State at the Office of the Tánaiste and Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment.[5] FitzGerald was responsible for the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation in Ireland[6]

She served until the coalition government was defeated at the 1997 general election. FitzGerald lost her seat at that election,[1] being succeeded by Fine Gael's Olivia Mitchell. She stood again in Dublin South at the 2002 general election, but was not elected.[1]

She is married to John D. FitzGerald, the son of Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald.[citation needed]

  1. ^ a b c "Eithne FitzGerald". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  2. ^ "Eithne FitzGerald". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (27th Dáil) – Vol. 425 No. 7". Houses of the Oireachtas. 10 February 1993. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Resignation of Taoiseach and Ministerial Changes: Statement – Dáil Éireann (27th Dáil) – Vol. 447 No. 4". Houses of the Oireachtas. 22 November 1994. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (27th Dáil) – Vol. 447 No. 11". Houses of the Oireachtas. 25 January 1995. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  6. ^ McDonagh, Maeve (2003). "Freedom of Information in Ireland: Five years on" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.