Batt O'Keeffe

Bartholomew "Batt " O'Keeffe (Irish Parthalán Ó Caoimh, born April 2, 1945 in Cullen, County Cork) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and from 2010 to 2011 Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.

Biography

After graduation, he worked as a Lecturer at Cork Institute of Technology ( CIT) and began his national political career in 1987 as the candidate of Fianna Fáil with the first election for deputies ( Teachta Dala ) of the lower house ( Dáil Éireann ), in which he held until 1989 the constituency of Cork South - Central represented.

After 1989, an election defeat suffered and resigned from the House of Commons, he became a member of the Senate ( Seanad Éireann ) as a representative of the group of workers. He was then re-elected as members of the Dáil in 1992 and took there first again the constituency of Cork South - Central, and since 2007 the constituency of Cork North -West.

During his long parliamentary membership he was on March 15, 1995 to May 15, 1997 Chairman of the House Committee on the Development and Promotion of December 2, 1997 to 2002 Chairman of the House Committee on Health and Children.

On 29 September 2004 he was appointed by Prime Minister ( Taoiseach ) Bertie Ahern, Minister of State in the Ministry for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and assumed, therefore, " junior ministers " his first government post. As such, he was responsible in particular for housing, urban renewal and development areas last from June 2007 to May 2008.

On 7 May 2008, he was named Brian Cowen, Ahern's successor as Prime Minister, Minister for Education and Science. Since the reshuffle on 23 March 2010 Batt O'Keeffe is Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation in the Cabinet Cowen.