Mary Hanafin

Mary Hanafin is a Fianna Fáil TD for Dún Laoghaire.

She was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1997 General Election.

In January 2000, Mary was promoted to Minister of State at the Departments of Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and Education and Science, with special responsibility for Children.

As Minister for Children, she developed the first National Children’s Strategy which was established to progress implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Ireland. This strategy is a ten year plan to improve the lives of all children. Its three main goals are to give children a say in issues that are important to them, to understand children better and to improve services for children.

She established the Office of Ombudsman for Children and set up Dáil na nOg for younger people.

She introduced the Adoption Information Bill to Dail Eireann in 2001. The legislation provided not just for the establishment of a contact register for adopted people but for the regulation and monitoring of tracing and reunion services provided in the area of adoption.

Mary was re-elected to the Dáil on May 18, 2002, taking the first seat in Dún Laoghaire, and topping the poll with 8,818 first preference votes. With this, she is the top female vote-getter (per quota) in the country.

On June 6, 2002, Mary was appointed Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (with responsibility for the Information Society) and as Minister of State at the Department of Defence.

On September 29, 2004, Mary was appointed Minister for Education and Science.

Minister for Education & Science – this sector caters for almost 1 million students from infant’s right through to higher education and lifelong learning. Almost 100,000 people are employed in schools, universities and Institutes of Technology. As Minister for Education and Science she reformed the system of teacher allocations for children with special educational needs. Also she developed DEIS, a co-ordinated system of supports for pupils in primary and post primary schools who are socially and economically disadvantaged. During her term as Minister she reformed the entry system for those who wish to study medicine.

In the 2007 General Election, Mary was again re-elected to Dáil Éireann to represent Dún Laoghaire topping the poll with 11, 884 first preference votes.

On June 14th, 2007, Mary was re-appointed Minister for Education and Science.

In May 2008, An Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D, appointed her Minister for Social and Family Affairs.

Minister for Social & Family Affairs – Minister Hanafin is responsible for overseeing the largest spending Government Department in the country, which accounts for one third of all current Government expenditure. Through social supports for families and individuals provides direct financial support to some 1.8 million people on a weekly basis ranging from child benefit through to supports for jobseekers and people of working age to pensioners.

Appointed Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism, March 2010.

Other Political Details

Mary is a former member of the Oireachtas Joint Committees on Heritage and the Irish Language; Justice, Equality & Women's Rights; and Education and Science.

She was elected National Treasurer of Fianna Fáil in 1993 and was a member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive, 1980-2003. She was a member of Dublin City Council 1985-1991.Mary is a daughter of Des Hanafin (Senator, 1969- 1993, 1997-2002) and a sister of John Hanafin (Senator, 2002-present).