Seán Barrett (born 9 August 1944) is an Irish former
Fine Gael
Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, 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. The party had a member ...
politician who served as
Ceann Comhairle
The (; "Head of heCouncil"; plural usually ) is the chairperson (or speaker) of , the lower house of the (parliament) of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the from among their number in the first session ...
of
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
from 2011 to 2016,
Minister for Defence and
Minister for the Marine from 1995 to 1997,
Government Chief Whip from 1982 to 1986 and 1994 to 1995. He served as a
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...
(TD) for the
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in County Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built up alongside a small existing settlement following 1816 legislation th ...
constituency from 1981 to 2002 and 2007 to 2020.
Early life
He was educated at CBS Dún Laoghaire,
C.B.C. Monkstown and
Presentation Brothers
The Congregation of Presentation Brothers (; English: "Brothers of the Presentation of Mary"; abbreviated F.P.M.) is an international Catholic congregation of laymen founded in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland, by a local Irish businessman, Edmund Ig ...
College in
Glasthule
Glasthule ( ; ) is a suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is along County Dublin, County Dublin’s south coast, between Dún Laoghaire, Sandycove, Glenageary and Dalkey.
Amenities
Sandycove and Glasthule are served by a number ...
,
County Dublin
County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...
. Before Barrett entered politics he was a partner in a successful Dublin-based insurance brokerage firm (Barrett, Hegarty Moloney, established in 1980).
A fan of horse-racing,
in 1987, he also established Seán Barrett Bloodstock Insurances Ltd.
Political career
He first became involved in local politics, serving on
Dublin County Council
Dublin County Council () was a local authority for the administrative county of County Dublin in Ireland.
History
The county council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative count ...
from 1974 until 1982. He was a member of
Dublin County Council
Dublin County Council () was a local authority for the administrative county of County Dublin in Ireland.
History
The county council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative count ...
between 1991 and 1993 and then served as a member of the
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council () is the local authority of the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that succeeded the former Dublin County Council on its abolition on 1 January 1994 a ...
until 1995.
At the
1977 general election, Barrett stood as a Fine Gael candidate in the
Dublin County South, but failed to win a seat. He was first elected to
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
when he stood in the
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in County Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built up alongside a small existing settlement following 1816 legislation th ...
constituency at the
1981 general election, where he was returned at each subsequent election until his retirement at the
2002 general election. He came out of retirement to successfully contest the
2007 general election.
In December 1982,
Garret FitzGerald
Garret Desmond FitzGerald (9 February 192619 May 2011) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, economist, and barrister who served twice as Taoiseach, serving from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1987. He served as Leader of Fine Gael from 1977 to 1987 an ...
became
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
for the second time and Barrett was appointed
Government Chief Whip and
Minister of State
Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...
at the
Departments of the Taoiseach and
Defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indust ...
. Between February 1986 and March 1987, he served as Leader of the House with responsibility for Dáil Reform and
Minister of State at the Department of Education
The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Education and Youth of the Government of Ireland who performs duties and functions delegated by the Minister for Education and Youth. ...
with responsibility for sport.
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton (18 May 1947 – 6 February 2024) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997 and Leader of Fine Gael from 1990 to 2001. He held cabinet positions between 1981 and 1987, including twice ...
's
Rainbow Coalition came to power in 1994 and Barrett was again appointed as Government Chief Whip, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and
Minister of State at the Department of Defence
The Minister of State at the Department of Defence () is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Defence (Ireland), Department of Defence of the Government of Ireland who performs duties and functions delegated by the Minister for Defence ...
.
In 1995,
Hugh Coveney
Hugh Coveney (20 July 1935 – 14 March 1998) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister of State at the Department of Finance from 1996 to 1997, Minister for the Marine and Minister for Defence from 1994 to 1995 and Lord Mayor ...
resigned from the cabinet and Barrett was then appointed
Minister for Defence and
Minister for the Marine..
During his tenure Barrett dealt with the
army deafness compensation issue that ultimately resulted in claims of approximately £300 million (€381 million) altogether against the State. Barrett's short ministerial career was blighted by critical remarks from
Garda and army officers directed towards the Minister. His term as Minister ended when the government lost power at the
1997 general election.
In 1999, he announced that he would not contest the next election, saying "at this stage, I believe it is time to make way for the next generation who must be given the chance to make their own contribution."
When Barrett,
Liam T. Cosgrave and
Monica Barnes were each first elected in 1981, Fine Gael secured three of the five seats and 48% of the first preference vote in Dún Laoghaire. But this massive vote waned over the following years and when Barrett and Barnes retired at the
2002 general election, Fine Gael failed to win even one seat in Dún Laoghaire.
Return to politics
In February 2006, Barrett announced that he wanted to come back from retirement, and stand again as a Fine Gael candidate at the next general election. He insisted that he would stand only if selected by the local party members, and would not accept being imposed as a candidate by Fine Gael headquarters.
At a selection meeting in
Dalkey
Dalkey ( ; ) is a village in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown county southeast of Dublin, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement and became a port in the Middle Ages. According to chronicler John Clyn (c.1286–c.1349), it was one of the port ...
in May 2006, Barrett and barrister
Eugene Regan were chosen as Fine Gael's two candidates in the Dún Laoghaire constituency. With return of Barrett, the party was confident of winning two of the five seats, but at the
general election in May 2007, Barrett was the fourth candidate returned to the
30th Dáil
The 30th Dáil was elected at the 2007 Irish general election, 2007 general election on 24 May 2007 and met on 14 June 2007. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Republic of Ireland, Ire ...
and Regan was not elected.
[
Barrett did not return immediately to Fine Gael's ]front bench
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then kno ...
, but became Chairperson of the Oireachtas
The Oireachtas ( ; ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of the president of Ireland and the two houses of the Oireachtas (): a house ...
Joint Committee on Climate Change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
and Energy Security. He was subsequently promoted back to the front bench as Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs following an attempted heave against Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) 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 (Ireland), Minister for Defence from May to July 2014 and 2016 to 201 ...
.
He met Chinese President Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...
in 2013.
Mahon Tribunal
In evidence to the Mahon Tribunal
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 Republic of Ireland, Ireland established by Dáil Éireann in 1997 to investiga ...
on 8 June 2006,
A report in ''The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' in July 2006 said that a representative of Fine Gael had described the Tribunal "as an outrage and a disgrace" for allowing unfounded allegations to be made against Barrett. Fine Gael, through its solicitor, expressed regret to the Tribunal on 25 July for this remark, describing it as 'inappropriate'.
References
External links
Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Sean
1944 births
Living people
Members of Dublin County Council
Fine Gael TDs
Government Chief Whip (Ireland)
Members of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Council
Members of the 22nd Dáil
Members of the 23rd Dáil
Members of the 24th Dáil
Members of the 25th Dáil
Members of the 26th Dáil
Members of the 27th Dáil
Members of the 28th Dáil
Members of the 30th Dáil
Members of the 31st Dáil
Members of the 32nd Dáil
Ministers for defence of Ireland
Ministers of State of the 24th Dáil
Ministers of State of the 27th Dáil
People educated at C.B.C. Monkstown
Politicians from Dún Laoghaire
Presiding officers of Dáil Éireann