Mary Hanafin - maryhanafin.ie

• Mary Hanafin is a Fianna Fáil TD for Dún Laoghaire.
• She was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1997 General Election and headed the poll in the 2002 and 2007 elections.
• In January 2000, Mary was promoted to Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and Education and Science, with special responsibility for Children.
• As Minister for Children, she developed the first National Children’s Strategy which was established to progress implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Ireland.
  She established the Office of Ombudsman for Children and set up Dáil na nOg for younger people.
• On June 6, 2002, Mary was appointed Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (with responsibility for the Information Society) and as Minister of State at the Department of Defence.
• On September 29, 2004, Mary was appointed Minister for Education and Science. As Minister for Education and Science she reformed the system of teacher allocations for children with special educational needs. Also, she developed DEIS, a co-ordinated system of supports for pupils in primary and post primary schools who are socially and economically disadvantaged. During her term as Minister she reformed the entry system for those who wish to study medicine.
• On June 14th, 2007, Mary was re-appointed Minister for Education and Science.
• In May 2008, An Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D, appointed her Minister for Social and Family Affairs.
• As Minister for Social & Family Affairs – Minister Hanafin was responsible for overseeing the largest spending Government Department in the country, which accounts for one third of all current Government expenditure.
• In March 2010, Mary Hanafin was appointed Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport.  These three distinct yet inter-related sectors account for the largest indigenous industry in the county supporting over 300,000 jobs, with an estimated value to the economy of over €19 billion annually when indirect effects of culture and creative sectors are taken into account.

 Born

Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Mary is a daughter of Des Hanafin (Senator, 1969- 1993, 1997-2002) and a sister of John Hanafin (Senator, 2002 – present)

Education

• Presentation Convent, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
• St Patrick's College, Maynooth (BA, HdipED).
• DIT (Diploma in Legal Studies).

Occupation

Full-time Public Representative. Government Minister. Previously a secondary school teacher of Irish and History at Dominican College, Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.