Fine Gael is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann and largest in terms of Irish members of the European Parliament. The party had a membership of 25,000 in 2021. Simon Harris succeeded Leo Varadkar as party leader on 24 March 2024.
Enda Kenny is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2011 to 2017,Leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2017,Minister for Defence from May to July 2014 and 2016 to 2017,Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2011,Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997 and Minister of State at the Department of Labour and Department of Education with responsibility for Youth Affairs from 1986 to 1987. He served as Teachta Dála (TD) for Mayo West from 1975 to 1997 and for Mayo from 1997 to 2020.
Mary Harney is an Irish former politician and the former Chancellor of the University of Limerick.
Richard Bruton is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin Bay North since 2016,and previously from 1982 to 2016 for the Dublin North-Central constituency. He was the Chair of the Fine Gael parliamentary party from July 2020 to September 2023. He previously served as Minister for Communications,Climate Action and Environment from 2018 to 2020,Minister for Education and Skills from 2016 to 2018,Minister for Jobs,Enterprise and Innovation from 2011 to 2016,Deputy leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2010,Minister for Enterprise and Employment from 1994 to 1997 and Minister of State for Energy Affairs from 1986 to 1987. He was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1981 to 1982.
The Leader of the Opposition in Ireland is a de facto term sometimes used to describe the politician who leads the largest party in the Parliamentary Opposition in the lower house of the Irish Parliament,Dáil Éireann. In the Dáil,the Leader of the Opposition sits on the right-hand side of the Ceann Comhairle and directly opposite the Taoiseach. The role is not an official one and is not recognised in the Irish constitution,nor in legislation.
Frances Fitzgerald is an Irish politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Dublin constituency since July 2019. She is a member of Fine Gael,part of the European People's Party. She previously served as Tánaiste from 2016 to 2017,Minister for Business,Enterprise and Innovation from June 2017 to November 2017,Minister for Justice and Equality from 2014 to 2016,Minister for Children and Youth Affairs from 2011 to 2014 and Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad from 2007 to 2011. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1992 to 2002 and 2011 to 2019. She was also a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2007 to 2011.
The Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments,commonly known as the Mahon Tribunal after the name of its last chairman,was a public inquiry in Ireland established by Dáil Éireann in 1997 to investigate allegations of corrupt payments to politicians regarding political decisions. It mostly investigated planning permissions and land rezoning issues in the 1990s in the Dublin County Council area. Judge Alan Mahon was the final chair of the tribunal and its other members were Judge Mary Faherty and Judge Gerald Keys. The original chairman,who was the sole member until just before his retirement,was Judge Feargus Flood,giving rise to the original common name of the Flood Tribunal.
Leo Eric Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024,as Tánaiste from 2020 to 2022,and as leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 2024. A TD for the Dublin West constituency since 2007,he has held a range of other ministerial positions in the Irish government. His political stances have been described as centre-right economically;he has advocated free markets,lower taxes,and welfare reform. On social issues,he supported successful constitutional referendums to legalise same-sex marriage and to liberalise Ireland's abortion laws.
Darragh O'Brien is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Housing,Local Government and Heritage since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Fingal constituency since the 2016 general election,and previously from 2007 to 2011 for the Dublin North constituency. He previously served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2011 to 2016.
Fine Gael is a political party in Ireland,formed in 1933 as a merger of Cumann na nGaedheal,the National Centre Party,and the Blueshirts.
LGBTQ+ life on the island of Ireland is made up of persons who are lesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,or otherwise.
Simon Harris is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael since 2024. A TD for the Wicklow constituency since 2011,he has served as a minister in the government of Ireland since 2016 and formerly served as a minister of state from 2014 to 2016.
The 2016 Irish general election to the 32nd Dáil was held on Friday 26 February,following the dissolution of the 31st Dáil by President Michael D. Higgins on 3 February,at the request of Taoiseach Enda Kenny. The general election took place in 40 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland to elect to elect 158 TeachtaíDála to Dáil Éireann,the house of representatives of the Oireachtas. There was a reduction of eight seats under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2013.
Regina Doherty is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Deputy leader of Seanad Éireann since 2022. She was Leader of the Seanad from 2020 to 2022,and has been Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad since June 2020. She has been a Senator since June 2020,after being nominated by the Taoiseach. She served as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection from 2017 to 2020 and Government Chief Whip from 2016 to 2017. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Meath East constituency from 2011 to 2020.
Brendan Griffin is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kerry constituency since 2016,and from 2011 to 2016 for the Kerry South constituency. He served as Deputy Government chief whip from July 2020 to December 2022 and as Minister of State for Tourism and Sport from 2017 to 2020.
Louise O'Reilly is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Fingal constituency since the 2016 general election.
Events during the year 2017 in Ireland.
The 2017 Fine Gael leadership election was triggered in May 2017,when Enda Kenny resigned as leader of Fine Gael. Voting began by members of Fine Gael and Young Fine Gael on 29 May 2017. On 2 June Leo Varadkar was announced as the victor,beating rival Simon Coveney. With Fine Gael being the governing party at the time,this election effectively selected a new Taoiseach for Ireland.
Joe O'Brien is an Irish Green Party politician who has served as a Minister of State since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Fingal constituency since 2019.
Emer Currie is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Senator since June 2020,after being nominated by the Taoiseach.
