Frances Fitzgerald

Who is Frances Fitzgerald?

Frances Fitzgerald is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and is the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. She has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Mid–West constituency since February 2011. She was a member of Seanad Éireann on the Labour Panel from 2007–11, and was previously a TD for the Dublin South–East constituency from 1992–2002.

Born in Croom, County Limerick, she was educated at Dominican College Sion Hill school, Blackrock, University College Dublin and London School of Economics. A former social worker, Fitzgerald was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1992 general election and retained her seat at the 1997 general election. She lost her seat at the 2002 general election. She then stood for election to the 22nd Seanad on the Administrative Panel, but was unsuccessful.

At the 1999 local elections, she was elected as a Dublin City Councillor for Rathmines, but she did not contest the 2004 local elections.

Before being elected a TD, she had been a high-profile Chair of the Council for the Status of Women from 1988–1992.

She was the Fine Gael candidate at the 2007 general election for the Dublin Mid-West constituency, but she was not elected. She was elected to the Seanad in July 2007. On 12 September 2007, she was appointed leader of the Fine Gael group in Seanad Éireann, and is also Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson on Health and Children, and a member of the Fine Gael Front Bench.