Alan Dukes

Alan Martin Dukes (Irish Ailein de diuc, born April 22, 1945 in Dublin) is an Irish politician and was several times Minister and Leader of the Fine Gael.

Biography

Dukes was initially 1977 to 1981 Employees of Richard Burke, Commissioner for Taxation, Customs and Transport of the European Communities ( EC). There he quickly gained attention due to its peaceful and material involved in all matters of national importance.

His own political career he began in June 1981 when he was first elected a deputy of the lower house of parliament ( Dáil Éireann ). There he took as a candidate of the Fine Gael the interests of the constituency of Kildare. On June 30, 1981 Prime Minister Garret FitzGerald appointed him minister of agriculture into the existing Fine Gael and Irish Labour Party until March 9, 1982 coalition government.

After re- forming a government Prime Minister FitzGerald called him on December 14, 1982 Finance Minister, a post he held until 14 February 1986. On 14 February 1986, he was then Minister of Justice and held that office until March 10 1987.

As FitzGerald unexpectedly resigned after the election defeat on 21 March 1987 as chairman of Fine Gael, Dukes was elected as his successor. It was his job doing the party in a time of enormous internal difficulties due to the crushing electoral defeat in February 1987 to accept and overcome the severe identity crisis. Dukes, who belonged to the liberal wing of the party, found himself in particular the disagreements between senior party members and the more liberal and social ideas of the group to FitzGerald, exposed. He soon saw, however, even suspended due to his economic policies of internal party criticism when he asked for his party's support for the advocacy of the financial laws of the Government of Fianna Fáil. In the elections of 1989, the Fine Gael indeed achieved an increase in their deputies seats in Dáil Éireann, however, led the very disappointing performance of the candidate of Fine Gael in the presidential election in 1990, Austin Currie, to the fact that Dukes resigned in November 1990 as party chairman. Successor as party chairman was then John Bruton.