Brendan Smith (politician)
| Brendan Smith TD | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Justice and Law Reform | |
|
In office 20 January 2011 – 9 March 2011 | |
| Taoiseach | Brian Cowen |
| Preceded by | Dermot Ahern |
| Succeeded by | Alan Shatter (Justice and Equality) |
| Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | |
|
In office 7 May 2008 – 9 March 2011 | |
| Taoiseach | Brian Cowen |
| Preceded by | Mary Coughlan |
| Succeeded by | Simon Coveney (Agriculture, Food and the Marine) |
| Minister of State for Children | |
|
In office 20 June 2007 – 7 May 2008 | |
| Taoiseach | Bertie Ahern |
| Preceded by | Brian Lenihan |
| Succeeded by | Barry Andrews |
| Teachta Dála | |
|
Assumed office November 1992 | |
| Constituency | Cavan–Monaghan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1 June 1956 Cavan, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Spouse(s) | Anne McGarry |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Website |
www |
Brendan Smith (born June 1956) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency since 1992.[1] He previously served as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (2008–11) and Minister for Justice and Law Reform (2011).
Born in Cavan in 1956, Smith was educated at Bawnboy national school, St. Camillus College (Killucan, County Westmeath), and University College Dublin where he gained a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Economics. For 15 years he worked as special advisor to the Fianna Fáil politician and former Tánaiste, John Wilson.
Smith was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1992 general election for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency and has been re-elected at every subsequent election.[2] In the 28th Dáil, he was Government Whip on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. In Bertie Ahern's 2004 cabinet reshuffle, Smith was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food with special responsibility for Food and Horticulture.
Following the 2007 general election, Smith became Minister for Children at the Department of Health and Children succeeding Brian_Lenihan, Jnr in that position.
On 7 May 2008 he was appointed as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Brian Cowen's cabinet. In July 2010 Smith launched the Food Harvest 2020 strategy. Its overall target to increase the value of Ireland's agri-food and fisheries exports by €5bn to reach €12bn by 2020.[3] A September 2012 progress report on the Food Harvest 2020 strategy found that farmers and other primary producers had passed the halfway mark towards meeting their 2020 targets.[4]
In 2010, during his term as Minister for Agriculture, he offered free cheese to Ireland's poor via a European Union scheme that had been around since the 1980s.[5] The public received Smith's announcement poorly and it was reported outside Ireland as the country became "a laughing stock internationally".[6][7][8] Smith was then forced to defend his own scheme.[9]
Following the resignation of Dermot Ahern in January 2011, Smith was also appointed as Minister for Justice and Law Reform.[10]
Just before leaving office, Smith gave the go-ahead for genetically modified organism (GMO) foods to enter Ireland. He told the media that Ireland had “altered its voting position” and would back proposals from the European Commission “aimed at authorising the placing on the market of food, food ingredients and feed containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified maize and cotton”. Smith also said that Ireland would now tolerate “the low-level presence of, as yet, unauthorised GMO varieties in imports of animal food”.[11]
He was the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Education and Skills from April 2011 to July 2012. In July 2012 he was appointed as party spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Border Region Development.
References
- ↑ "Mr. Brendan Smith". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
- ↑ "Brendan Smith". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
- ↑ "€5bn export surge sought in 2020 plan". Irish Independent. 20 July 2010.
- ↑ "Food Harvest 2020 target at halfway mark". Irish Examiner. 13 September 2012.
- ↑ "Government to let them eat cheese". The Irish Times. 5 November 2010.
- ↑ Swords, Warren (7 November 2010). "It's not just hard cheese, it's old cheese". Daily Mail (London).
- ↑ Smith, Lewis (6 November 2010). "Irish to get free 'Christmas cheese'". The Independent (London).
- ↑ "Like a movie scene - Irish government declares "Let them eat cheese!"". Irish Central. 5 November 2010.
- ↑ "Minister defends cheese-for-Christmas scheme". Irish Examiner. 5 November 2010.
- ↑ "Election date set for 11 March". RTÉ News. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ↑ "Ireland to bring GM crops onto home market". TheJournal.ie. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
External links
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Wilson (Fianna Fáil) |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cavan–Monaghan 1992–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Noel Treacy |
Minister of State for Food and Horticulture 2004–2007 |
Succeeded by Trevor Sargent |
| Preceded by Brian Lenihan |
Minister of State for Children 2007–2008 |
Succeeded by Barry Andrews |
| Preceded by Mary Coughlan |
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2008–2011 |
Succeeded by Simon Coveney as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine |
| Preceded by Dermot Ahern |
Minister for Justice and Law Reform 2011 |
Succeeded by Alan Shatter as Minister for Justice and Equality |
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