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Niamh Bhreathnach
Niamh Bhreathnach
Minister for Education
	In office; 15 December 1994 – 26 June 1997
Taoiseach	John Bruton
Preceded by	Michael Smith
Succeeded by	Micheál Martin
	In office; 12 January 1993 – 17 November 1994
Taoiseach	Albert Reynolds
Preceded by	Séamus Brennan
Succeeded by	Michael Smith
Teachta Dála
	In office; November 1992 – June 1997
Constituency	Dún Laoghaire
Senator
	In office; 13 June 1997 – 17 September 1997
Constituency	Nominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born	1 June 1945; Loughlinstown, Dublin, Ireland
Died	6 February 2023 (aged 77); Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Labour Party
Spouse	Tom Ferris (m. 1981)
Children	2
Parent	Breandán Breathnach (father);
Education	Dominican College Sion Hill
Alma mater	Froebel College of Education

Niamh Síle Bhreathnach (Irish: [n̠ʲiəw ˈʃiːlʲə ˈvʲɾʲahnˠəx]; 1 June 1945 – 6 February 2023) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Education from 1993 to 1994 and 1994 to 1997.

She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 1992 to 1997. She was a senator from June 1997 to July 1997, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.^[1]

Early life and education

Niamh Síle Bhreathnach was born in Loughlinstown, Dublin, on 1 June 1945. She was the daughter of Breandán Breathnach, a civil servant and collector of traditional music. She was educated at Dominican College Sion Hill and Froebel College of Education, Dublin, later qualifying as a remedial teacher.^[2]

Career

Bhreathnach sought election for the first time in 1985, standing in the local electoral area of Blackrock at the 1985 Dublin County Council election.^[3] Bhreathnach was chairperson of the Labour Party from 1990 until 1993. She was first elected to Dublin County Council at the 1991 election.^[3]

Bhreathnach was elected as a TD for Dún Laoghaire at the 1992 general election, serving until her defeat at the 1997 general election. In January 1993, she was appointed minister for education in the Fianna Fáil–Labour Party coalition government, serving until Labour left government in November 1994. She was appointed to the same post in December 1994 in the Rainbow Coalition, serving until June 1997.

During her time as minister, the first white paper on Education was published, tuition fees for third-level institutions were abolished, and the Regional Technical Colleges were upgraded to Institutes of Technology. She also brought in the legacy posts, extra teaching positions for disadvantaged schools.^[4] She introduced the University Act 1997, which made universities accountable for the public money they receive.^[5]

After losing her Dáil seat in 1997, Bhreathnach was nominated by the outgoing Taoiseach, John Bruton, to the last days of the 20th Seanad.^[6]^[7] She sought a nomination from the Labour Party for the elections to the 21st Seanad, and there was some surprise when she was not one of the five candidates nominated by the party. She did not seek a nomination from the nominating bodies.^[8]

Bhreathnach stood again for the Dáil at the 2002 general election, but did not regain her seat, and did not contest the 2007 general election. She was a member of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council for the Blackrock local electoral area from 2004 to 2014.^[9]

Personal life and death

Bhreathnach was married to Tom Ferris, with whom she had two children.^[2] Bhreathnach died in Blackrock, Dublin, on 6 February 2023, at age 77.^[10]

References

^ "Niamh Bhreathnach". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Niamh Bhreathnach, minister who abolished college fees, has died". The Irish Times. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Niamh Bhreathnach". Irish Elections. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
^ "Ó Ríordáin to meet Quinn over cuts". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
^ McNamara, Maedhbh (2020). A Woman's place is in the Cabinet: Women ministers in Irish governments 1919–2019. Drogheda: Sea Dog Books. ISBN 978-1-913275-06-8.
^ "Nomination of Members – Seanad Éireann (20th Seanad) – Vol. 151 No. 14". Oireachtas. 10 July 1997. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
^ "Five chosen for vacancies in Seanad". The Irish Times. 14 June 1997. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
^ Michael O'Regan (19 June 1997). "Breathnach drops Seanad ambition". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
^ "Niamh Bhreathnach". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
^ "Former education minister Niamh Bhreathnach dies aged 77". RTÉ News. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.

External links

Niamh Bhreathnach's page on the Labour Party website

Political offices
Preceded by Séamus Brennan	Minister for Education 1993–1994	Succeeded by Michael Smith
Preceded by Michael Smith	Minister for Education 1994–1997	Succeeded by Micheál Martin