MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Ministerial Career
Mr Micheál Martin, TD, was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in May 2008. Prior to this appointment, Minister Martin served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from September 2004 to May 2008, Minister for Health from January 2000 to September 2004 and Minister for Education and Science from June 1997 to January 2000.
Minister Martin’s Political Career
Minister Martin was first elected to Dáil Éireann for the constituency of Cork South Central in 1989.
He is a former Chairman of the Oireachtas All Party Committee on the Irish Language (and he is a fluent speaker of the language); a former member of the Dáil Committee on Crime and a former member of the Dáil Committee on Finance and General Affairs. He was opposition spokesperson for Education and the Gaeltacht from 1995 to 1997.
The Minister was first elected to Cork Corporation in 1985 and elected an Alderman in 1991. He was Lord Mayor of Cork for 1992-93. Prior to his appointment as a Cabinet Minister, Minister Martin was a member of a wide range of educational, community and local committees including the Cork Vocational Educational Committee and the Governing body of University College Cork.
Minister Martin is a member of the Fianna Fáil party which is the largest political party in the country. The Minister has previously been the National Chairman of Ógra Fianna Fáil and was also a member of the Aims and Structures Commission within the Party.
Minister Martin – Personal Profile
Minister Martin was born in Cork City (Ireland’s second city) on the south coast of Ireland in 1960. He is married to Mary O’Shea and they have four children.
The Minister graduated from University College Cork with an MA in Political History. Prior to entering public life on an occupational basis, Minister Martin was a secondary school teacher.
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