| Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP | |
|---|---|
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office June 2009 |
|
| Constituency | North–West |
| In office June 1994 – June 2002 |
|
| Constituency | Connacht–Ulster |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office May 2002 – June 2009 |
|
| In office June 1981 – June 1997 |
|
| Constituency | Donegal South West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 March 1948 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Gillespie |
| Alma mater | University College Galway |
| Website | www.patthecope.com |
Pat the Cope Gallagher (Irish: Pádraigh Ó Gallchóir Cope[1]; born 10 March 1948) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the North–West constituency, having previously served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal South West constituency[2] and as a junior minister.
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Gallagher was born in Burtonport, County Donegal. He was educated at Dungloe Secondary School, St. Enda's College, Galway and University College Galway where he graduated with a B. Comm in 1970.[3] He worked as a fish exporter until 1982,[3] becoming involved in local politics in 1979.
Gallagher was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1981 general election, retaining his seat until retiring at the 1997 general election. Gallagher was appointed Minister of State for Marine and the Gaeltacht in 1987, serving in that post until 1994.
In 1994 he was elected to the European Parliament as an MEP for the Connacht–Ulster constituency and was re-elected at the 1999 European Parliament election.[4] During his period in Europe, Gallagher was a member of a number of committees including Fisheries, Economics and Monetary and Industry and Energy.
He returned to domestic politics to successfully contest the 2002 general election and he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In Bertie Ahern's Cabinet reshuffle in 2004 he received the portfolio of Minister of State for the Marine. Following a period in this role, Gallagher was moved to the Department of Transport in February 2006 where he served as Minister of State until May 2007. In June 2007 he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for Health Promotion and Food Safety. He was not re-appointed as a Minister of State after Brian Cowen became Taoiseach in May 2008.
He was elected as an MEP for the North–West constituency at the 2009 European Parliament election.[5] Immediately thereafter Gallagher replaced Brian Crowley as the head of Fianna Fáil's European delegation;[6] this promotion came in the aftermath of Crowley publicly attacking the party's decision to join the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Gallagher is a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries
Despite still being a serving politician in Europe, Gallagher receives annual pension payments of €70,562 a year from his time as a TD and junior minister.[7]
His somewhat unusual middle name 'The Cope' refers to his family connection to The Cope agricultural cooperative which operates in The Rosses area of Donegal. This name is even used officially, in his profile on the Fianna Fáil website and on the European Parliament website.[8] Gallagher is a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries and also serves as Chairman of the delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Gallagher's wife, Ann Gillespie, and her sister, Eibhlin, both served almost 10 years of a 15-year sentence for conspiracy and explosive charges. In 1974 the sisters were visiting a house in Manchester when a bomb being made there exploded.[9]
Gillespie maintains her innocence, saying police used evidence from discredited scientist Frank Skuse, but does not wish to reopen the case. In 2005 Gillespie's solicitor, Gareth Peirce stated she believed that the case could have been successfully re-opened.[9]
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