Pádraig Faulkner
Pádraig Faulkner | |
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Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann | |
In office 16 October 1980 – 30 June 1981 | |
President | Patrick Hillery |
Preceded by | Joseph Brennan |
Succeeded by | John O'Connell |
Minister for Defence | |
In office 12 December 1979 – 15 October 1980 | |
Taoiseach |
Jack Lynch Charles Haughey |
Preceded by | Bobby Molloy |
Succeeded by | Sylvester Barrett |
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs | |
In office 5 July 1977 – 11 December 1979 | |
Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
Preceded by | Conor Cruise O'Brien |
Succeeded by | Albert Reynolds |
Minister for Tourism and Transport | |
In office 5 July 1977 – 11 December 1979 | |
Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
Preceded by | Tom Fitzpatrick |
Succeeded by | George Colley |
Minister for Education | |
In office 2 July 1969 – 14 March 1973 | |
Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
Preceded by | Brian Lenihan |
Succeeded by | Richard Burke |
Minister for the Gaeltacht | |
In office 27 March 1968 – 2 July 1969 | |
Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
Preceded by | Micheál Ó Móráin |
Succeeded by | George Colley |
Minister for Lands | |
In office 27 March 1968 – 2 July 1969 | |
Taoiseach | Jack Lynch |
Preceded by | Micheál Ó Móráin |
Succeeded by | Seán Flanagan |
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht | |
In office 21 April 1965 – 27 March 1968 | |
Taoiseach |
Seán Lemass Jack Lynch |
Preceded by | New position |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Teachta Dála | |
In office 20 March 1957 – 20 January 1987 | |
Constituency | Louth |
Personal details | |
Born |
Dundalk, Louth, Ireland | 12 March 1918
Died |
1 June 2012 94) Drogheda, Louth, Ireland | (aged
Political party | Fianna Fáil |
Occupation | National school teacher |
Pádraig Faulkner (12 March 1918 – 1 June 2012) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was first elected in 1957 as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Louth constituency, serving until 1987.[1] Faulkner also served as Minister for Lands, Minister for the Gaeltacht, Minister for Education, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, Minister for Tourism and Transport, Minister for Defence and Ceann Comhairle.
Faulkner was born in Dundalk, County Louth, in 1918. He was educated at Dundalk CBS and St Patrick's College of Education in Drumcondra, Dublin, where he qualified as a national school teacher. Faulkner grew up in Dunleer in South Louth, where his father was a strong supporter of Fine Gael, while his mother supported the more Republican Fianna Fáil party. He favoured his mother's political outlook, and joined Fianna Fáil. Faulkner unsuccessfully contested the Louth by-election in 1954 but at the 1957 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann.[2]
In 1965 Faulkner was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht by the Taoiseach, Seán Lemass. He was appointed to the Cabinet by the new Taoiseach Jack Lynch in 1968, and served in every Fianna Fáil-led government until 1980. During the Arms Crisis he was a Lynch loyalist. He was one of a number of senior TDs who organised the assembly of TDs and Senators in Dublin Airport to welcome Lynch home from the United States after the defendants had been found not guilty at the Arms Trial. Nine years later in 1979 one of those defendants, Charles Haughey, was elected Taoiseach. Faulkner was retained in the Cabinet until 1980 when he was elected Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann.
Following the election of a new Ceann Comhairle immediately after the 1981 general election, he retired to the backbenches before retiring completely from politics at the 1987 general election. In a Dáil career that spanned thirty years, his most notable achievements include the introduction of the legislation to establish two commercial semi-State companies, An Post and Telecom Éireann. Faulkner was subsequently appointed to the Council of State by President Patrick Hillery in 1990.
He died at the age of 94 on 1 June 2012.[3]
References
- ↑ "Mr. Pádraig Faulkner". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ↑ "Pádraig Faulkner". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ↑ "Former Ceann Comhairle Pádraig Faulkner dies aged 94". RTÉ News. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
Political offices | ||
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New office | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht 1965–1968 |
Office abolished |
Preceded by Micheál Ó Móráin |
Minister for Lands 1968–1969 |
Succeeded by Seán Flanagan |
Minister for the Gaeltacht 1968–1969 |
Succeeded by George Colley | |
Preceded by Brian Lenihan |
Minister for Education 1969–1973 |
Succeeded by Richard Burke |
Preceded by Conor Cruise O'Brien |
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs 1977–1979 |
Succeeded by Albert Reynolds |
Preceded by Tom Fitzpatrick |
Minister for Tourism and Transport 1977–1979 |
Succeeded by George Colley |
Preceded by Bobby Molloy |
Minister for Defence 1979–1980 |
Succeeded by Sylvester Barrett |
Preceded by Joseph Brennan |
Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann 1980–1981 |
Succeeded by John O'Connell |