Mary Coughlan

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This article is about Mary Coughlan, Irish politician. For Mary Coughlan, the Jazz singer, see Mary Coughlan (singer).

Mary Coughlan (Irish: Máire Ní Chochláinn; born 28 May 1965 in Donegal) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She is currently a Teachta Dála for Donegal South West and Minister for Agriculture & Food. She has previously served as Minister for Social & Family Affairs.

Mary Coughlan was born in Donegal town in 1965. She was educated at the Ursuline Convent in Sligo and University College Dublin. She briefly worked as a social worker before becoming involved in politics. Coughlan was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD at the general election of 1987. At the age of 21 years and 9 months Coughlan was the youngest member of the 25th Dáil and became the second youngest TD ever, after Ivan Yates. Coughlan is not the only member of her family to become politically active. Her uncle, Clement Coughlan, was a TD from 1981 until his death in 1983, while her father was a TD from 1983 until his death in a road traffic accident in 1986. The death of her father resulted in Coughlan being co-opted onto Donegal County Council and launching her own political career. Coughlan is married to David Charlton and has two children.

Coughlan remained on the backbenches of the Dáil for the first decade of her career as a TD. During this period she served on a number of Oireachtas committees, including the Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport & 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. In 2001 Coughlan received her first ministerial position, that of Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht & the Islands. She retained this portfolio until the 2002 general election when she was promoted to the cabinet as Minister for Social & Family Affairs. In a cabinet reshuffle in 2004 Coughlan succeeded Joe Walsh as Minister for Agriculture & Food, becoming the first woman to hold that portfolio.

Coughlan has already been selected as a candidate in the next general election, however, it has been speculated in the media that she may be one of the most high profile politicians to lose their seats.

[edit] Political career

Preceded by: Cathal Coughlan	Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Donegal South West 1987 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by: Éamon Ó Cuív	Minister of State (with special responsibility for the Gaeltacht and the Islands) 2001-2002	Succeeded by: Office abolished
Preceded by: Minister for Social, Community & Family Affairs Dermot Ahern	Minister for Social & Family Affairs 2002–2004	Succeeded by: Séamus Brennan
Preceded by: Joe Walsh	Minister for Agriculture & Food 2004 – present	Incumbent

This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database