Gemma Hussey(néeMoran;born 11 November 1938) is an Irish formerFine Gaelpolitician who served asMinister for Social Welfarefrom 1986 to 1987,Minister for Labourfrom January 1987 to March 1987,Minister for Educationfrom 1982 to 1986,Leader of the SeanadandLeader of Fine Gael in the Seanadfrom 1981 to 1982. She served as aTeachta Dála(TD) for theWicklowconstituency from 1982 to 1989. She also served as aSenatorfor theNational Universityfrom 1977 to 1982.[1]
Gemma Hussey | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Social Welfare | |
| In office 14 February 1986 – 10 March 1987 | |
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Barry Desmond |
| Succeeded by | Michael Woods |
| Minister for Labour | |
| In office 20 January 1987 – 10 March 1987 | |
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Ruairi Quinn |
| Succeeded by | Bertie Ahern |
| Minister for Education | |
| In office 14 December 1982 – 14 February 1986 | |
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Gerard Brady |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Cooney |
| Leader of the Seanad | |
| In office 8 October 1981 – 26 March 1982 | |
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Eoin Ryan Snr |
| Succeeded by | Eoin Ryan Snr |
| Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad | |
| In office 8 October 1981 – 26 March 1982 | |
| Leader | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Patrick Cooney |
| Succeeded by | James Dooge |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 1982–June 1989 | |
| Constituency | Wicklow |
| Senator | |
| In office 27 October 1977 – 18 February 1982 | |
| Constituency | National University |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gemma Moran 11 November 1938 Bray,County Wicklow,Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse |
Derry Hussey
(m.1976; died 2020) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
Early life
editHussey was born inBray, County Wicklow,in 1938. She was educated at Loreto College,Foxrockand atUniversity College Dublin.Hussey had a successful career running a language school in the late 1960s and 1970s. She married Derry Hussey in 1976, and they had 3 children. Derry Hussey died in 2020.[2]
Political career
editSenator
editShe was elected by theNational UniversitytoSeanad Éireann,serving in the upper house of theOireachtas,from 1977 until 1982. She sat as anIndependentSenator for the first three years, before joining Fine Gael. She then served as Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Women's Affairs from 1981 to 1982. She went on to be the party leader in the Seanad and leader of the Seanad from 1981 to 1982.[3]
TD and Minister
editShe was first elected toDáil Éireannon her second attempt, at theFebruary 1982 general election,as a Fine GaelTDforWicklow.[1]
Hussey served asMinister for Educationin the Fine Gael–Labour Partycoalition government ofTaoiseachGarret FitzGeraldfrom 1982 to 1986, during which time she was heavily criticised by teachers' unions during a bitter pay strike in 1984.[4]The 1980s was a decade of economic crisis and the government was faced with challenges caused by the precarious state of the public finances. This meant that she had to find ways to reduce the Education budget. One of her measures was to introduce charges for the school transport system, which proved unpopular. However, third-level enrolments were increasing rapidly and Hussey secured increased funding for higher education at a time of severe spending cutbacks.[5]In 1986, she becameMinister for Social Welfare.FitzGerald considered creating a new ministry for Hussey as Minister forEEC affairs.However, she did not wish to compete with theDepartment of Foreign Affairs,and so declined the position.[6] Always a liberal and afeminist,she took a strongly supportive position on the legalisation of divorce, which wasdefeated in a referendum in 1986,and frequently suggested that she supported the liberalisation of Ireland's abortion ban. A member of Fine Gael's liberal wing, which includedMonica Barnes,Nuala Fennell,Alan ShatterandAlan Dukes,she was disliked by the conservative wing of the party which included TDs likeOliver J. Flanagan,Alice GlennandGerry L'Estrange.
During a meeting withKeith Joseph,BritishSecretary of State for Education,Joseph boasted to Hussey that he held surgeries once a month, which was considered a high number inBritain.Hussey responded that she had to do clinics three days every week to hold on to her seat as a TD.
The book of her cabinet diaries,At the Cutting Edge,published in 1990, was hailed as the most thorough and realistic account of life inside the cabinet in Ireland.[citation needed]She retired from politics at the1989 general election.
In 1990, she was sharply criticised within her party for suggesting that she might support the Labour Party presidential candidate,Mary Robinson,a feminist, over the official Fine Gael candidateAustin Currie.Mary Robinson went on to become Ireland's first female President.
An enthusiasticEurophile,Hussey spends a lot of her time now promoting the advancement of women in politics around theEuropean Union.
In the lead-up to the1997 presidential election,Hussey was mentioned as a possible Fine Gael candidate, and was predicted to do well across Dublin and in her native Wicklow constituency and among supporters of Fine Gael and of theProgressive Democrats.In the event the party nomination went toMary Banotti,who lost toMary McAleesein the election.
References
edit- ^ab"Gemma Hussey".Oireachtas Members Database.Archivedfrom the original on 5 November 2019.Retrieved24 November2008.
- ^"Gemma Hussey 'cannot wait' to meet family and friends again after vaccination".The Irish Times.24 March 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 24 March 2021.Retrieved27 March2021.
- ^"Gemma Hussey".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 5 May 2007.Retrieved24 November2008.
- ^Murphy, Christina (15 February 1986). "Jubilant teachers see Hussey move as victory".The Irish Times.p. 8.
- ^McNamara,Maedhbh. A woman's place is in the Cabinet:women ministers in Irish governments 1919-2019. Drogheda, Sea Dog Books,2020.ISBN 978-1-913275-06-8
- ^Cooney, John (15 February 1986). "Taoiseach wanted Hussey in new Euro Ministry".The Irish Times.p. 1.
Bibliography
edit- Hussey, Gemma:At the Cutting Edge: Cabinet Diaries, 1982–1987(Dublin, 1990)
- Hussey, Gemma:Ireland Today: Anatomy of a Changing State(London, 1993)