Lucinda Creighton

Lucinda Creighton
TD
Leader of Renua Ireland
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 March 2015
Preceded by New office
Minister of State for European Affairs
In office
10 March 2011 – 11 July 2013
Preceded by Dick Roche
Succeeded by Paschal Donohoe
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 2007
Preceded by Michael McDowell
Constituency Dublin South–East
Personal details
Born 20 January 1980
Claremorris, County Mayo
Nationality Irish
Political party Renua Ireland (since March 2015)
Other political
affiliations		 Reform Alliance (2013–15),
Fine Gael (until July 2013)
Spouse(s) Paul Bradford
Children 1
Alma mater Trinity College, Dublin
Religion Roman Catholicism[1]
Website www.lucindacreighton.ie

Lucinda Creighton (born 20 January 1980) is an Irish politician. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South–East constituency since 2007.[2] She served as the Minister of State for European Affairs from March 2011 to July 2013 until her resignation and loss the Fine Gael parliamentary party whip.[3] She then sat as an independent TD until March 2015, when the Renua Ireland party was launched.

Early life

Lucinda Creighton grew up in County Mayo where her father was a bookmaker and her mother was a teacher.[4] She is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, where she gained a Law degree (LL.B.) in 2002. She was a member of the Trinity College branch of Young Fine Gael. In 2003, she qualified as an attorney-at-law for the state of New York. She was called to the Irish bar council in 2005.

Political career

Fine Gael

While at Trinity College, Creighton was elected Deputy Secretary General of the Youth of the European People's Party.[5] She was elected to Dublin City Council in 2004, aged 24, representing the Pembroke local electoral area.[6]

Creighton was elected to Dáil Éireann on her first attempt in the 2007 general election, as its youngest member,[7] the first TD born in the 1980s. She was appointed Fine Gael spokesperson on European Affairs from 2007 to 2010. She was critical of party leader, Enda Kenny, during that period. In July 2010 she criticised what she termed the "cute hoor politics" in Fine Gael.[8] In October 2010, she was appointed as party deputy spokesperson on Justice with special responsibility for Immigration, Integration and Equality.

She played a key role in Fine Gael's campaign for a yes vote in both referendums on the Lisbon Treaty.[9] Creighton was re-elected in February 2011, topping the poll in Dublin South-East.[10] Following Fine Gael's entry into government, she was appointed by Enda Kenny as the Minister of State for European Affairs.

On taking office, she was openly critical of the response by European leaders to the eurozone crisis, telling an audience in London in May 2011 that "European leaders have gone from contributing to the development of the Union to identifying what they can take from it and parade in front of their own electorates. While the European spirit lives on, what is absent is the willingness and courage to argue, communicate and persuade people that it is still a good idea."[11]

During her time as minister, Creighton visited every EU member, candidate and aspiring country at least once, and represented the government at meetings and conferences such as the Croatia Summit in July 2012,[12] the EU–ASEAN ministerial meeting in Brunei in April 2012 and the EU–ASEM meeting in Budapest in June 2011.[13] Creighton was also the first Irish government minister to officially meet a minister from Burma when she met its foreign minister in April 2012.[14]

Creighton was involved in the co-ordination of the planning an execution of Ireland's 2013 EU Presidency, chairing a government committee responsible for all policy preparations and oversight.[15][16] In January 2013 she hosted a meeting of European affairs ministers in Dublin which focused on strengthening democratic accountability and legitimacy in the European Union, an issue she has highlighted many times.[17] During the 2012 referendum on the Stability Treaty, Creighton played a central role, speaking at numerous public meetings and events. Along with Simon Coveney, she devised Fine Gael's campaign for a yes vote.

Renua Ireland

Creighton was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party on 11 July 2013 when she defied the party whip by voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.[3] She also resigned as Minister of State. On 13 September 2013, she and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, described as a "loose alliance" rather than a political party.[18] The move was criticised as indicative of suppressing independent voices and, as such, the need for having an independent Seanad.[19] Creighton joined the Dáil Technical Group in September 2014.[20]

On 2 January, Creighton announced that she was founding a new political party in Spring 2015.[21] The party is being founded under four principles, including, Creighton claims, "building an economy for entrepreneurs" and "giving politics back to the people."[21] Creighton said: "We want to reboot Ireland and we want those who are as passionate about this country as we are to join us on this mission".[21] She hopes her new party will raise €1 million in small donations before the next general election.[22]

On 13 March 2015, a new political party called Renua Ireland was launched, with Creighton as its leader.[23][24]

Political positions

Foreign policy

Creighton meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Paet in October 2012.

Creighton is an opponent of Ireland's "triple-lock" system that means the deployment of the Irish Defence Forces outside of the State must first be prompted by a formal Government decision, then approved by the Dáil before being mandated by the United Nations. Creighton favours a system where only a Government and Dáil vote is necessary for military deployment outside the State as she views it is not a "viable position in Irish foreign policy that peacekeeping missions are dependent on a UN mandate when Russia and China get a veto."[25]

Economic policy

Creighton was an early advocate of eurobonds as a potential solution to the eurozone crisis. She publicly called for the European Central Bank to become a lender of last resort following a meeting with her French counterpart in Paris in December 2012.[26]

Creighton has said Sinn Fein’s economic policies are “absolutely hare-brained” and “would come close to bankrupting the country”.[27]

Social policy

Creighton stated in February 2011 that while she supported civil partnerships, which was then in the process of coming into effect, she opposed same-sex marriage and that she believed that "marriage is primarily about children, main purpose being to propagate and create."[28][29] Controversy surrounding the comment, and its resulting backlash made national papers, and led to official statements being issued by Fine Gael distancing the party from her comments.[30] She later changed her view to support same-sex marriage.[22]

Creighton is against abortion and believes "We celebrate the right of human beings to enjoy life – whether we speak of a criminal on death row, or an innocent baby girl, or a baby with Down syndrome. None of us are perfect, but our life is worthy and we are all worthy of life. Who are any one of us to determine that even one single life is not worth living, not worth protecting?"[31]

Personal life

Creighton married her Fine Gael party colleague, Senator Paul Bradford, in April 2011.[32] They have one daughter.[33][34]

References

  1. ↑ "Abortion Debate". lucindacreighton.ie. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Ms. Lucinda Creighton". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Creighton votes against Govt in abortion debate". RTÉ News. 11 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Lunch with... Lucinda Creighton". Irish Independent. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "YEPP candidate Lucinda Creighton elected first in EPP Board". YouthEPP. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Profile: Lucinda Creighton". The Sunday Times. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Lucinda Creighton". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
  8. ↑ "Fine Gael tensions resurface". The Irish Times. 20 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "FG calls on public to back Lisbon Treaty". RTÉ News. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "31st Dáil - Dublin South East First Preference Votes". Elections Ireland. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Speech: Restoring Unity, Cooperation and Selflessness to the European Project". Lucinda Creighton. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "Ireland to help countries of the western Balkans achieve their EU perspective". Department of Foreign Affairs. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "Department of Foreign Affairs - Minister Creighton attends ASEM Conference in Budapest". Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "Minister Creighton meets Foreign Minister of Myanmar (Burma) - first ministerial meeting between the two countries". Department of Foreign Affairs. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  15. ↑ Suzanne Lynch (23 April 2013). "Government happy with diplomacy gains at mid-point of Irish presidency". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  16. ↑ Lucinda Creighton (26 December 2012). "With Ireland's EU presidency comes a chance for real change". Independent. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  17. ↑ Judith Crosbie (22 January 2013). "Candidate countries must pass muster before joining EU". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  18. ↑ "The politicians formerly known as the Fine Gael rebels are now the Reform Alliance". TheJournal.ie. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "Seanad vote: Threat to 'northern input in southern politics'". BBC News. 3 October 2013.
  20. ↑ "Lucinda Creighton says she’s joined the Dáil Technical Group – but they don’t want her". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Creighton to launch new party in spring". RTÉ News. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Lucinda Creighton seeking €1m for new party". Irish Times. 3 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "Revealed: Lucinda's new party is called Renua Ireland". Irish Independent. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  24. ↑ "Creighton's new party to be called Renua Ireland". RTE News. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "How should Ireland decide whether to send troops abroad?". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  26. ↑ "Ireland says ECB should be lender of last resort". Reuters. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  27. ↑ "Lucinda Creighton: Fine Gael will suffer major losses in next general election". Irish Independent. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  28. ↑ "LCreighton". Twitter / Lucinda Creighton. 18 February 2011.
  29. ↑ "Poll: Do you agree with Lucinda Creighton's comments on marriage?". The Journal. 21 February 2011.
  30. ↑ Edwards, Elaine (23 February 2011). "FG says Creighton views 'her own'". The Irish Times.
  31. ↑ "Here’s what Lucinda Creighton had to say on abortion legislation". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  32. ↑ "Creighton ties the knot in low-key ceremony". Irish Independent. 2 May 2011.
  33. ↑ "Baby on the way for Lucinda Creighton and husband Paul Bradford". independent.ie. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  34. ↑ "Lucinda Creighton gives birth to baby girl". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 27 March 2014.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Lucinda Creighton
Oireachtas
Preceded by
Michael McDowell
(Progressive Democrats)		 Teachta Dála for Dublin South–East
2007–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Dick Roche		 Minister of State for European Affairs
2011–2013 		Succeeded by
Paschal Donohoe
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Damien English		 Baby of the Dáil
2007–2011 		Succeeded by
Simon Harris
Party political offices
New title Leader of Renua Ireland
2015–present 		Incumbent