Avril Doyle

Avril Doyle
Minister of State
1995–1997	Taoiseach
1995–1997	Finance
1995–1997	Transport, Energy and Communications
1986–1987	Finance
1986–1987	Environment
Member of the European Parliament
In office 1 June 2004 – 1 June 2009
Constituency	East
In office 1 June 1999 – 1 June 2004
Constituency	Leinster
Teachta Dála
In office November 1992–June 1997
In office November 1982–June 1989
Constituency	Wexford
Senator
In office 9 September 1997 – 12 June 2002
In office 12 October 1989 – 11 December 1992
Constituency	Agricultural Panel
Personal details
Born	Avril Belton (1949-04-18)18 April 1949 Dublin,Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael
Parent	Richard Belton(father)
Relatives	Patrick Belton(grandfather)
Education	Holy Child Killiney
Alma mater	University College Dublin

Avril Doyle(néeBelton;born 18 April 1949) is an Irish formerFine Gaelpolitician who served as aMinister of Statefrom 1986 to 1987 and from 1995 to 1997. She served as aMember of the European Parliament(MEP) from 1999 to 2004 and 2004 to 2009, aTeachta Dála(TD) for theWexfordconstituency from 1982 to 1989 and 1992 to 1997 and aSenatorfor theAgricultural Panelfrom 1989 to 1992 and 1997 to 2002.

Early life

Doyle was born inDublinin 1949; she was educated atHoly Child Killineysecondary school and atUniversity College Dublin(UCD). Her fatherRichard Beltonwas aSenatorand her grandfatherPatrick Beltonwas aTD.She was born on the dayThe Republic of Ireland Act 1948came into effect – which saw the inauguration ofIrelandas a republic outside theBritish Commonwealth.

Political career

In 1974, aged 25, she was elected toWexford County Counciland toWexford Corporation;she was Mayor ofWexford townfrom 1975 to 1976.She was first elected toDáil Éireannat theNovember 1982 general electionas a Fine Gael TD for theWexfordconstituency. In February 1986, she was appointed on the nomination ofGarret FitzGeraldasMinister of State at the Department of Financewith special responsibility for theOffice of Public Works,andat the Department of the Environmentwith special responsibility for Environmental Protection.

She lost her seat at the1989 general election,serving as a member ofSeanad Éireannfrom 1989 to 1992. She was re-elected to the Dáil at the1992 general election.In January 1995, she was appointed on the nomination ofJohn BrutonasMinister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach,at the Department of Financeandat the Department of Transport, Energy and Communicationswith responsibility for consumers of public services.At the1997 general election,she lost to party colleagueMichael D'Arcy,and was again elected to the Seanad, serving from 1997 to 2002.

She was elected as anMEPat the1999 electionand re-elected at the2004 election.

Doyle made news during a debate in theEuropean Parliamentin June 2008 afterthe rejectionof theTreaty of Lisbonby Irish voters. A group of BritishEuroscepticMEPs wore green hats and T-shirts, encouraging the EU to respect the Irish 'no' vote. However, many Irish MEPs saw this as self-serving and felt that there would be no Eurosceptic support for Irish opinion had the treaty been accepted; and Doyle was both lauded and criticised for the following comment, which is a reference to the forceful occupation of Ireland by Britain; "How the history books could have been written differently, if respect for the Irish vote from some of our British colleagues was always there."

On 7 January 2009, she announced that she would not seek re-election to the European Parliament at the2009 election.

On 21 June 2011, she announced her intention to seek the Fine Gael party nomination for the2011 presidential election.She withdrew from the nomination process in October 2011.

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

External links

• Personal profile of Avril Doylein theEuropean Parliament's database of members