Mary Harney

Mary Harney (Irish: Máire Ní Airne; born March 11, 1953 in Ballinasloe, County Galway) is an Irish politician and former Deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste ) and Minister of Health from 2004 to 2011 in their country.

Biography

Harney grew up on a farm near the town of Newcastle in County Dublin. She studied at Trinity College, Dublin in 1976 and received her Bachelor of Arts. In 1977 she was appointed by Taoiseach Jack Lynch Seanad Éireann in the senator. Following Harney was elected in 1981 in the Dáil Éireann. In 1985, she resigned from the Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats turned to; Harney was a founding member of that party. A few years later she practiced from July 1989 to November 1992 as Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment her first item from. In October 1993, she was elected president of the Progressive Democrats and was the first woman who chaired one of the major Irish political parties.

In June 1997 Harney led her party into a coalition government with Fianna Fáil. Harney has now Deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste ) and Minister for Enterprise Employment. In July 1997, the Office Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has been renamed. The ministerial post she kept until September 2004, when she was Minister of Health (Minister for Health and Children ). Two years later she resigned from her post as Tánaiste and party leader back. Michael McDowell was her successor in these offices. When he lost his seat in the Dáil Éireann at the 2007 elections, Harney was again chairman of the Progressive Democrats and remained so until it was replaced in April 2008 by Ciarán Cannon. As a result of the dissolution of the Progressive Democrats sitting Harney since 2009 as independents in the Dáil Éireann.

Mary Harney is married to businessman Brian Geoghegan since November 2001.