Mary Coughlan (politician)

Mary Anne Coughlan (born 28 May 1965) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from 2008 to 2011, Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil from 2008 to 2011, Minister for Health and Children from January 2011 to March 2011, Minister for Education and Skills from 2010 to 2011, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2008 to 2010, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food from 2004 to 2008, Minister for Social and Family Affairs from 2002 to 2004 and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and the Islands from 2001 to 2002. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal South-West constituency from 1987 to 2011.[1]

Mary Coughlan
Tánaiste
In office 7 May 2008 – 9 March 2011
Taoiseach	Brian Cowen
Preceded by	Brian Cowen
Succeeded by	Eamon Gilmore
Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil
In office 7 May 2008 – 9 March 2011
Leader	Brian Cowen
Preceded by	Brian Cowen
Succeeded by	Mary Hanafin
Minister for Health and Children
In office 20 January 2011 – 9 March 2011
Taoiseach	Brian Cowen
Preceded by	Mary Harney
Succeeded by	James Reilly (Health) Frances Fitzgerald (Children)
Minister for Education and Skills
In office 23 March 2010 – 9 March 2011
Taoiseach	Brian Cowen
Preceded by	Batt O'Keeffe (Education and Science)
Succeeded by	Ruairi Quinn
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
In office 7 May 2008 – 23 March 2010
Taoiseach	Brian Cowen
Preceded by	Micheál Martin
Succeeded by	Batt O'Keeffe (Enterprise, Trade and Innovation)
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In office 29 September 2004 – 7 May 2008
Taoiseach	Bertie Ahern
Preceded by	Joe Walsh (Agriculture and Food)
Succeeded by	Brendan Smith
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
In office 17 June 2002 – 29 September 2004
Taoiseach	Bertie Ahern
Preceded by	Dermot Ahern (Social, Community and Family Affairs)
Succeeded by	Séamus Brennan
Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and the Islands
In office 19 February 2001 – 17 June 2002
Taoiseach	Bertie Ahern
Preceded by	Éamon Ó Cuív
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Teachta Dála
In office February 1987 – February 2011
Constituency	Donegal South-West
Personal details
Born	Mary Anne Coughlan 28 May 1965 Donegal, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse(s)	David Charlton (m. 1995; d. 2012)
Relations	Cathal Coughlan (Father) Clement Coughlan (Uncle)
Children	2
Alma mater	University College Dublin

Early life

Coughlan was born in Donegal town in the south of County Donegal in 1965. Her father was Cathal Coughlan, a Fianna Fáil TD, who died in office in June 1986. She was educated at the Ursuline Convent in Sligo, where she was a boarder from 1978 to 1983[2] and later at University College Dublin, graduating with a Social Science degree. She worked as a social worker for a brief period before becoming involved in politics.[3]

Political career

Early political life

Coming from a political family, Coughlan was always interested in politics, and joined a local party branch at the age of 16.[4] She was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1987 general election as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Donegal South-West constituency.[5] At the age of 21 years and nine months, Coughlan was the youngest member of the 25th Dáil.[6] Her uncle Clement Coughlan was a TD from 1980 until his death in 1983 in a road traffic accident, while her father Cathal Coughlan was a TD from 1983 to 1986 when he died after a short illness. The death of her father resulted in Coughlan being co-opted onto Donegal County Council in 1986, which launched her own political career.[7]

She remained on the backbenches of the Dáil for the first thirteen years of her career as a TD, before being appointed a junior Minister.[8] During this period she served on a number of Oireachtas committees, including the Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation and the Joint Committee on the Irish language where she served as Chairperson. Coughlan was also a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body. In 1994, Bertie Ahern became leader of Fianna Fáil and Leader of the Opposition. In early 1995 he named his new front bench, including Coughlan as Spokesperson on Educational Reform. She served in this position until 1997 but was not included in the cabinet or junior ministerial team when the party came to power.[9]

Minister of State

In February 2001, Coughlan received her first ministerial position, that of Minister of State (Junior Minister) at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (with responsibility for the Gaeltacht and Islands).[10] In this role for just sixteen months, she was responsible for securing Government approval for the general scheme of the Official Languages Equality Bill, which aimed to confirm the language rights of citizens and outline their rights when dealing with the State in either official language.[11] She also oversaw the coming-into-force of an amended Gaeltacht Housing Act, updating the supports available for Irish-speaking households building in or moving to the Gaeltacht.[12] The Commission on Irish in the Gaeltacht (Comisiún na Gaeltachta) also completed its work under her guidance and Coughlan saw its report approved and published. During her time in this role, she also established a Working Group on the Creation of Employment in the Gaeltacht.[13] In addition, during her tenure Coughlan oversaw significant investment in island infrastructure and in the connection of islands to the national electricity grid, including Inishbofin Island, off the County Donegal coast, which was connected for the first time in 2002 by using an underwater cable from the mainland.[14]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (2002–2004)

After the 2002 general election Coughlan was promoted to the cabinet as Minister for Social and Family Affairs. Her time in Social and Family Affairs saw increases in social welfare payments and the extension of family supports.[15] She established the Family Support Agency with a mandate to support families, promote stability in family life, prevent marital breakdown and foster a supportive community environment for families at a local level.[16]

Coughlan received criticism for changes she made regarding the availability of rent supplement. This was portrayed as targeting the weaker sections of society at a time when the Irish economy was reasonably strong.[17][18] She was also widely criticised for cuts she made as Minister to entitlements for widows and widowers after the death of a spouse. The cuts were part of a wider drive for a reduction in government spending in autumn 2002.[19] However, many considered these and other similar cutbacks to have been forced upon her by Charlie McCreevy,[20] who was Minister for Finance at the time, and who was blamed for many of his decisions. She was also involved in resolving[21] a dispute over payments with the country’s dentists.[20]

During her time as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, she was praised for introducing large increases in Child Benefit and in pensions.[20] Her work on the pensions element of her portfolio also saw her introduce Personal Retirement Savings Accounts. Coughlan also established the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman and provided additional funding and support for the State's Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).[22]

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (2004–2008)

In a 2004 cabinet reshuffle, Coughlan succeeded Joe Walsh as Minister for Agriculture and Food, becoming the first woman to hold that portfolio in Ireland.[19]

During her time in this role the country's last two remaining sugar factories, owned by Greencore, were closed. The Carlow factory closed on 11 March 2005. Mallow, Ireland’s last sugar factory to remain open, closed on 12 May 2006,[23] after operating for 77 years. Farmers and others were critical of the decision.[23] They criticised the government's and the Minister's roles, both were seen as not doing enough to try to stop the closures, though they had retained some control over the factories since they had been privatised a number of years before. As sugar beet growers now had nowhere to sell their sugar beet, cultivation of the crop ceased in Ireland.[24] Coughlan also headed this Department at a time when the spread of bird flu from abroad looked very likely to occur, especially in 2006.[25]

Coughlan was re-appointed to the portfolio on 14 June 2007 following the 2007 general election, with the additional responsibility of fisheries as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Shortly after her re-appointment Coughlan had to put in place measures to deal with the threat of the potential spread of foot-and-mouth disease from Britain in early August 2007.[26]

Throughout her time in this ministry, Coughlan was involved in ongoing WTO trade talks.[27]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (2008–2010)

Following Bertie Ahern's resignation on 6 May 2008, Coughlan, in a cabinet re-shuffle, became Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 7 May 2008, by newly appointed Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

As a proponent of the Treaty of Lisbon, Coughlan was noted to have "quietly withdrawn" from the first referendum campaign after she embarrassed the Government in a radio interview by not knowing the number of European Commissioners.[28] Over a period of four days Coughlan stated that the EU's larger nations still had two Commissioners each.[29][30] In fact, the bigger states had lost their second places on the Commission in 2004. According to an editorial in The Irish Times, "how someone who had spent several years around an EU Council of Ministers' table could not know that is extraordinary".[31]

Responding to a row over medical cards she displayed insufficient mathematical skill, saying "Of the savings of €100 million, €86 million is for GPs and €30 million is for pharmacists".[30]

Her performance as Tánaiste in defence of the October 2008 budget was criticised by opposition politicians and the media,[32] with Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar publicly comparing Coughlan to gaffe-prone Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin.[33][34] Varadkar's comments were challenged by broadcaster John Bowman and Sunday Tribune journalist Justine McCarthy, as well as by Coughlan herself.[35]

Coughlan announced a third change in the budgetary position, in her local constituency, prior to Cabinet agreement and five days before the responsible Minister for Social and Family Affairs announced it to the nation, via RTÉ Radio.[36]

Coughlan acted to clean up years of wasteful spending by executives at the state training and employment agency, FÁS, and was considered to have taken a tough line with Director General, Rody Molloy, who was forced to resign in November 2008.[37]

The 2008 fall in the value of sterling against the euro saw the price gap between North and South widen and shoppers cross to Northern Ireland to the detriment of businesses in the South. Coughlan asked[38] multiple retailers to reduce their margins south of the border and provide better value to consumers in the South. Research from Forfás,[39][40] concluded that only a five per cent difference in the cost of goods between North and South was justifiable. The findings highlighted retailers' larger margins in the South in relation to their operations in the North and Coughlan queried why the price differential in many identical goods was substantially in excess of 5%. Coughlan said: "I don't own a shop. The Government doesn't own a shop. It's up to Tesco, it's up to Superquinn, it's up to Aldi, it's up to Lidl; it's up to them to cut their prices. They need to ensure that that happens; they have to do something about it."[41] When retailers continued to remain silent on the price differential, Coughlan sent in the Competition Authority to investigate supply chains in the retail sector.[42]

Coughlan was condemned for doing "too little too late" in relation to large-scale loss of employment at a Dell facility in Limerick, despite successfully retaining 2,000 Dell employees in Ireland.[43][44] She also successfully secured over €22 million of European Globalisation Adjustment Fund money to the benefit of the workers made redundant in Limerick.[45][46]

Coughlan was accused by an opposition spokesperson of being unable to debate exchequer figures.[47][48]

Coughlan acted to close loopholes in company law that made it possible for bank directors not to have to disclose the full extent of their indebtedness to the bank in its published accounts. She also strengthened the powers of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to enforce company law provisions.[49]

On 24 April 2009, one of Coughlan's demoted junior ministers, John McGuinness, criticised Coughlan and Cowen for the lack of leadership being given to the country, saying: "She's not equipped to deal with the complex issues of dealing with enterprise and business within the department. And neither is the department".[50][51] McGuinness' credibility was subsequently undermined when it was revealed that he had hired external PR advice in an effort to undermine Coughlan and enhance his own profile as a Minister of State within her Department.[52]

In April 2009, she denied there would be a supplementary budget – one was announced five days later – also claiming that the public finances were under control at the same time.[30]

In September that year Coughlan was described as Calamity Coughlan,[30][53][54][55][56] having been left red-faced after erroneously referring to the theory of evolution as having been formulated by Einstein.[57] Later that month she apparently let slip the date of a general election while speaking about the budget when Brian Cowen was in New York.[56] She also memorably called her Green Party colleagues "na glasraí" – Irish language for "the vegetables".[29]

Minister for Education and Skills (2010–2011)

On 23 March 2010, following a cabinet reshuffle, she was moved to the newly named Department of Education and Skills, while retaining the position of Tánaiste.[58] One of Coughlan's first initiatives in the portfolio was to voice her support for the introduction of a CAO points bonus for students studying higher level maths.[59] She revamped the Student Maintenance Grant application procedure, streamlining administration and getting the scheme out two months earlier than in previous years.

Minister for Health and Children (2011)

Following the resignation of Mary Harney in January 2011, Coughlan was also appointed as Minister for Health and Children.[60]

Loss of seat

At the 2011 general election, Coughlan lost her seat to Independent candidate Thomas Pringle. Her first preference vote more than halved from 26.5% in 2007 to just over 11%.[61] Her running mate Brian Ó Domhnaill also failed to be elected, leaving Donegal South-West without a Fianna Fáil TD for the first time in its history. The loss of her seat was considered the most high-profile casualty of the Fianna Fáil meltdown.[62] The Guardian newspaper described it as "Ireland's Portillo moment".[63] Coughlan received a lump sum of €237,000, and an annual pension of €140,000.

Views on LGBT rights

During her time as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Coughlan became involved in a number of LGBT rights controversies. In March 2004, she introduced the Social Welfare Amendment Act 2004 in response to a case involving same-sex partner benefits.[64] Under the Equal Status Act, 2000,[65] a gay pensioner successfully petitioned the Equality Authority to allow his male partner to travel as his 'spouse' using the pensioner's travel pass.[66] The legislation which Coughlan subsequently produced limited the meaning of the word 'spouse' to include only married couples; this was regarded by the Opposition parties and LGBT rights campaigners as discriminatory towards same-sex couples as there had been no legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Republic of Ireland at the time.[67][68][69] Two months later, Coughlan caused comment at a European Union conference on family and social policy by stating that Ireland would never be ready for same-sex marriage or gay adoption.[70]

During her time in Social and Family Affairs, Coughlan produced a report discussing new definitions of 'the family' which recommended a more progressive approach to the matter. This influenced the Government's 2008 civil union legislation.[8]

Personal life

Mary Coughlan was married to David Charlton, a Garda who lost a leg in a serious car accident a few years after they were married, from 1991 until his death from cancer on 2 September 2012.[71] They were married when Coughlan was aged 26, two years after they met, David was working as a Garda on duty at Leinster House at the time. They have two children, one son and one daughter.[72] They lived at Frosses, a village just west of Donegal town.[72][73] Coughlan is a fluent Irish speaker.[10]

References

1. "Mary Coughlan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
2. "It's cheers all round as former Ursuline girl becomes Minister". Sligo Champion. 14 June 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2008.(subscription required)
3. "Mary, the lovely girl from Donegal who got too big for her boots". Irish Independent. 3 May 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
4. "Running for office". Irish Independent. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
5. "Mary Coughlan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
6. "Mary would be able to run the country". Irish Independent. 25 September 2005. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
7. "A new chapter in a proud political career". Donegal Democrat. 8 May 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
8. Olivia O'Leary (1 April 2008). Drivetime Podcast – Olivia O'Leary (mp3) (radio broadcast). RTÉ Radio 1. Retrieved 1 March 2009. Olivia O'Leary looks at politicians who have that certain something
9. "Members of the Government (Ministers): 28th Dáil". Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas. 27 June 2002. Archived from the original on 8 January 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
10. "The winners in Ahern's shake-up". Irish Independent. 7 June 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
11. "Language equality legislation published". RTÉ News. 16 April 2002.
12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. "Ó Cuív welcomes the Report of the Working Group on the Creation of Employment in the Gaeltacht". Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. 16 December 2002. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
14. "Islanders light up, switch on for first time". Irish Independent. 7 May 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
15. "€10 Minimum Increase in Weekly Social Welfare Payments, €11.50 Per Week Increase For Widows & Widowers". Department of Social And Family Affairs. 29 December 2003. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
16. "About Us". Family Support Agency. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
17. "Rent supplement changes 'causing severe hardship'". Irish Independent. 28 September 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
18. "Outrage at decision on rent allowance". Fingal Independent. 13 December 2002. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
19. "Mary Coughlan will plough a unique farming furrow". Irish Independent. 30 September 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
20. "'Wee lass' with a safe pair of hands". Irish Independent. 27 September 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
21. "Govt invites dentists to talks next week". BreakingNews.ie. 23 January 2003. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
22. Department of Social And Family Affairs (3 December 2003). "€630 million Social Welfare budget package". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
23. "End of an era as Mallow sugar plant shuts down". Irish Independent. 13 May 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
24. "Black day for Irish sugar industry". Irish Farmers Journal. 18 May 2006. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
25. "Country on high alert as bird flu outbreak 'inevitable'". Irish Independent. 7 April 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
26. "Coughlan pleased British samples prove negative". Irish Examiner. 11 August 2007. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
27. "Coughlan calls for EU meeting at WTO talks". RTÉ News. 16 December 2005. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
28. "Cowen disaster: little authority and no leadership". Sunday Independent. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
29. "Cowen must throw caution to the wind and shake out his cabinet". Irish Examiner. 18 March 2010.
30. "Calamity Coughlan's greatest blunders". Irish Independent. 24 September 2009.
31. "Political damage suffered by Cowen has yet to become clear". The Irish Times. 14 June 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
32. "Out-of-depth Mary fails to keep order among Dáil mob". Evening Herald. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
33. "Dáil hails Three Marys not so full of grace under Opposition fire". The Irish Times. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
34. "Calamity Coughlan". Irish Independent. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
35. "'Calamity Coughlan' in war of words over Palin remark". Sunday Independent. 19 October 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
36. "Dáil Sketch". The Irish Times. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
37. Later, it was discovered that Mr Molloy had received a payoff of €1 million and the retention of his company car, destroying the earlier view of a tough line being taken by Coughlan, who approved the payment without reference to either the Cabinet or official guidelines."FÁS chief quits in row over US trips". Irish Independent. 26 November 2008.
38. "Shoppers place Coughlan in a deep freeze". Times Online. 7 December 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
39. "Retailers' costs 'only worth 5% difference'". RTÉ News. 22 December 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
40. "The Cost of Running Retail Operations in Ireland" (PDF). Forfás. December 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
41. "Grinch minister shrugs off retail pleas". Sunday Independent. 7 December 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
42. "Tánaiste orders inquiry into supply chains in retail sector". The Irish Times. 25 February 2009.
43. Michael Brennan (9 January 2009). "Coughlan knew mass lay-offs were on way 'but acted too late'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
44. "Dell workers wait a week for Coughlan". Evening Herald. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
45. "Tánaiste Submits EGF Application for redundant Dell workers to European Commission". Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013.
46. "Ireland seeks EU help to reskill redundant Dell workers". Business and Leadership. 19 June 2009.
47. "Why does no one dare say Coughlan is out of her depth?". Times Online. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
48. "Joan turns her guns on hapless Tánaiste and stunned colleagues". The Irish Times. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
49. "Tánaiste announces publication of the Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009". Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. 9 April 2009. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009.
50. "McGuinness criticises lack of leadership from Cowen and Coughlan". The Irish Times. 25 April 2009.
51. "Coughlan embroiled in storm on sackings". Irish Independent. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
52. "McGuinness Tánaiste row rumbles on". The Sunday Business Post. 3 May 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
53. "Calamity Coughlan digs a few more holes". The Irish Times. 24 September 2009.
54. "Calamity Coughlan Blunder: After mixing up Darwin and Einstein, how long can we carry on with our laughing stock Tanaiste?".
55. "'Calamity Coughlan' in war of words over Palin remark". Irish Independent. 19 October 2008.
56. "Has Calamity Coughlan let an election secret out of the bag?". Evening Herald. 29 September 2009.
57. "Coughlan's no Einstein after gaffe at 'smart economy' launch". Irish Independent. 18 September 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
58. "Killeen, Carey promoted to cabinet". RTÉ News. 23 March 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
59. "Minister for Education backs maths bonus points". Digital 21. 7 April 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
60. "Election date set for 11 March". RTÉ News. 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
61. "31st Dáil – Donegal South-West First Preference Votes". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
62. "Coughlan loses seat as Fine Gael move closer to Government". BreakingNews.ie. 26 February 2011.
63. "After Fianna Fáil: a new Ireland takes shape". The Guardian. 28 February 2011.
64. "Irish Rail denies bias in travel pass row". Irish Independent. 6 September 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
65. "Equal Status Act, 2000". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
66. "Irish Rail enforce ban on same-sex couples". Gay Community News. September 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
67. "Govt accused of bid to withdraw gay rights". RTÉ News. 11 March 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
68. "Volume 582 – 11 March 2004 – Order of Business". Official Report of Dáil Éireann. 11 March 2004. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
69. "Coughlan accused of discriminating against gay couples". BreakingNews.ie. 11 April 2004. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
70. "Irish official vows never on gay marriage, adoption". Houston Voice. 21 May 2004. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
71. "Mary Coughlan's husband dies of cancer at age 48". Irish Independent. 2 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
72. "There is just no place like home for Tánaiste Mary". Irish Independent. 10 May 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
73. "Mary a step closer to Taoiseach". Donegal Post. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.

External links

• What Brian and Mary did next