Gemma Hussey

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Gemma Hussey (née Moran) (born 11 November 1938), is a former senior Irish Fine Gael politician.

Educated at University College Dublin, Hussey had a successful career running a language school in the late 1960's and '70's. She was first elected to Dáil Éireann, on her second attempt at the February 1982 general election, as a Fine Gael TD for Wicklow.

She had earlier been elected by the National University of Ireland to Seanad Éireann, serving in the upper house of the Oireachtas from 1977 until 1982. She sat as an independent senator for the first three years, before serving as Fine Gael spokesman on Women's Affairs (1981–1982) and then Government Leader of the Seanad.

Hussey served as Minister for Education in the Fine Gael/Labour coalition government of Garret Fitzgerald from 1982 to 1986, during which time she was heavily criticised by teachers' unions during a bitter pay strike in 1984. In 1986, she was re-shuffled to the equally contentious Social Welfare ministry.

Always a liberal and a feminist, she took a strongly supportive position on the legalisation of divorce, which was defeated in a referendum in 1986, and frequently suggested that her support for liberalisation of the republic's anti-abortion laws. A heroine to Fine Gael's social democratic wing, which included "feminists" such as Monica Barnes and Nuala Fennell, as well as Alan Shatter and Alan Dukes, she was disliked by the conservative Roman Catholic (Christian Democratic) wing of the party which included TDs like Oliver J. Flanagan, Alice Glenn, and Gerry L'Estrange.

Her cabinet diaries (1990), At the Cutting Edge, were hailed as the most thorough and realistic account of life inside the cabinet in the Republic of Ireland. She retired from politics at the 1989 general election.

In 1990, she had her knuckles rapped for suggesting that she might support the Labour PArty Presidential candidate, Mary Robinson, a passionate feminist, over the official Fine Gael candidate, Austin Currie. Mary Robinson went on the become the Republic's first female president.

An enthusiastic Europhile, she spends a lot of her time now promoting the advancement of women in politics around the EU.

[edit] Bibliography

• Hussey, Gemma: At the Cutting Edge: Cabinet Diaries, 1982-1987 (Dublin, 1990)
• Hussey, Gemma: Ireland Today: Anatomy of a Changing State (London, 1993)

Political offices
Preceded by Gerard Brady	Minister for Education 1982–1986	Succeeded by Patrick Cooney
Preceded by Barry Desmond	Minister for Social Welfare 1986–1987	Succeeded by Michael Woods
Preceded by Ruairi Quinn	Minister for Labour 1987	Succeeded by Bertie Ahern

v • d • e « 14th Seanad «   Members of the 15th Seanad Éireann (1981–1982) » 16th Seanad » Cathaoirleach Charles McDonald (FG)  • Leader of the Seanad Gemma Hussey (FG) Administrative Panel Katharine Bulbulia (FG) • Micheál Cranitch (FF) • Tras Honan (FF) • Patrick Kennedy (FG) • Jimmy Leonard (FF) • Flor O'Mahony (Lab) • Myles Staunton (FG) Agricultural Panel Richard Bruton (FG) • Pierce Butler (FG) • Michael Ferris (Lab) • Tom Fitzgerald (FF) • Thomas Hussey (FF) • Rory Kiely (FF) • John Mannion, Jnr (FG) • Charles McDonald (FG) • Liam Naughten (FG) • Martin O'Toole (FF) • William Ryan (FF) Cultural & Educational Panel Patsy Lawlor (FG) • Maurice Manning (FG) • Timothy McAuliffe (Lab) • Mary O'Rourke (FF) • Joe Walsh (FF) Industrial & Commercial Panel Deirdre Bolger (FG) • Barry Cogan (FF) • Sean Fallon (FF) • Alexis FitzGerald, Jnr (FG) • Michael Howard (FG) • Mick Lanigan (FF) • Ruairi Quinn (Lab) • Patrick J. Reynolds (FG) • Eoin Ryan, Snr (FF) Labour Panel John Blennerhassett (FG) • Toddie Byrne (FG) • Donal Carey (FG) • Séamus Dolan (FF) • Des Hanafin (FF) • Jack Harte (Lab) • Brian Hillery (FF) • Dan Kiely (FF) • Brian Mullooly (FF) • Andy O'Brien (FG) • Maurice O'Connell (FG) National University of Ireland Gemma Hussey (FG) • John A. Murphy (Ind) • Brendan Ryan (Ind) University of Dublin Catherine McGuinness (Ind) • Mary Robinson (Ind) • Shane Ross (Ind) Nominated by the Taoiseach Ulick Burke (FG) • John F. Carroll (Lab) • Timmy Conway (Lab) • James Dooge (FG) • Paddy Dunne (Lab) • Robert Fausset (FG) • Jim Higgins (FG) • Miriam Kearney (FG) • Patrick Magner (Lab) • Seán A. O'Leary (FG) • T. K. Whitaker (Ind) FF: Fianna Fáil • FG: Fine Gael • Lab: Labour • Ind: Independent

v • d • e « 13th Seanad «   Members of the 14th Seanad Éireann (1977–1981) » 15th Seanad » Cathaoirleach Séamus Dolan (FF)  • Leader of the Seanad Eoin Ryan, Snr (FF) Administrative Panel Liam Burke (FG) • Micheál Cranitch (FF) • Jack Garrett (FF) • Tras Honan (FF) • Thomas Kilbride (FG) • Michael P. Kitt (FF) • Myles Staunton (FG) Agricultural Panel Pierce Butler (FG) • Paul Connaughton (FG) • John Ellis (FF) • Justin Keating (Lab) • Rory Kiely (FF) • Gerard Lynch (FG) • Joe McCartin (FG) • Charles McDonald (FG) • Patrick McGowan (FF) • Martin O'Toole (FF) • William Ryan (FF) Cultural & Educational Panel Richard Conroy (FF) • Patrick Cooney (FG) • Flor Crowley (FF) • Timothy McAuliffe (Lab) • David Molony (FG) Industrial & Commercial Panel Ruairí Brugha (FF) • Alexis FitzGerald, Snr (FG) • Desmond Governey (FG) • Michael Howard (FG) • Liam Hyland (FF) • Mick Lanigan (FF) • Michael Moynihan (Lab) • Patrick J. Reynolds (FG) • Eoin Ryan, Snr (FF) Labour Panel John Blennerhassett (FG) • Séamus Dolan (FF) • Joe Dowling (FF) • Des Hanafin (FF) • Jack Harte (Lab) • Anthony Herbert (FF) • Brian Hillery (FF) • Fintan Kennedy (Lab) • Michael Lyons (FG) • Bernard Markey (FG) • Andy O'Brien (FG) National University of Ireland Gemma Hussey (Ind) • Augustine Martin (Ind) • John A. Murphy (Ind) University of Dublin Conor Cruise O'Brien (Ind) • Mary Robinson (Lab) • Trevor West (Ind) Nominated by the Taoiseach Séamus Brennan (FF) • Séamus de Brún (FF) • Eileen Cassidy (FF) • Valerie Goulding (FF) • Mary Harney (FF) • Valentine Jago (FF) • Gordon Lambert (Ind) • Bernard McGlinchey (FF) • Noel William Mulcahy (FF) • T. K. Whitaker (Ind) • Michael Yeats (FF) Elected or nominated later 1977 Michael Patrick Donnelly (FF) • 1979 Catherine McGuinness (Ind) • 1980 Jim Doolan (FF) • James Ruttle (FF) • 1981 P. J. Mara (FF) • Joseph O'Neill (??) FF: Fianna Fáil • FG: Fine Gael • Lab: Labour • Ind: Independent •  ??: Unknown party