Michael McDowell (politician)

Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell ( Irish Mícheál Mac Dubhghaill ; * 1951 ) is an Irish politician and former Deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste ). He was a member of the Fine Gael and, until their dissolution, the Progressive Democrats .

biography

McDowell, who was originally a member of the Fine Gael , was one of the founders of the Progressive Democrats in 1985 .

After the elections for Dáil Éireann in 2002, he was appointed to the cabinet of the re-elected coalition government with Fianna Fáil under Prime Minister Bertie Ahern as Minister for Justice, Equality and Legal Reform. At the same time he became president of the Progressive Democrats. On June 13, 2006 Prime Minister Ahern appointed him in addition to Deputy Prime Minister ( Tánaiste ), after the previous incumbent Mary Harney had resigned. In addition, he was their successor as chairman of the Progressive Democrats.

When his party suffered a devastating defeat in the parliamentary elections in May 2007 and he and five other MPs lost six of the eight seats in parliament, he left the government on June 14, 2007 and resigned as party chairman at the same time. This office was then temporarily taken over by Mary Harney.

source

• Irish Ministries