Seán Power

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Seán Power (born October 14, 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála (TD) for Kildare South and Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children.

Seán Power was born in Caragh, near Naas in County Kildare and was educated locally at the Christian Brothers School in Naas. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1989 General Election, as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Kildare South constituency. He has been re-elected at the three subsequent general elections.

In 1991 Power was a key member of the so-called "gang of four" which proposed a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach, and the leader of his party, Charles Haughey. The other members of the group were Noel Dempsey, Liam Fitzgerald and M.J. Nolan. That incident led to Albert Reynolds's first bid for the leadership and to Haughey's eventual resignation in 1992. When Reynolds eventually became Taoiseach, Power was appointed Assistant Chief Whip. Since then he has served as a member of the Joint Committees on European Affairs and on the Environment and Local Government. In Bertie Ahern's Cabinet reshuffle of 2004 Power received his current post of Minister of State.

Seán Power is the son of the former TD, MEP and Cabinet Minister, Paddy Power. His brother, J.J. Power is a Green Party member of Kildare County Council.

[edit] Political Career

Preceded by: Paddy Power	Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Kildare 1989–1997	Succeeded by: Constituency abolished
Preceded by: Newly created constituency	Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Kildare South 1997 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by: Newly created office	Minister of State (with special responsibility for Health Promotion) 2004 – present	Incumbent