Brendan Daly

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Brendan Daly (Irish: Breandán Ó Dálaigh; born February 2, 1940), is an Irish Fianna Fáil Party politician. Currently a Senator, he was previously a long-serving TD and government minister.

Daly was born in February 1940 in Cooraclare, County Clare, and educated locally at CBS Kilrush. His political career began at the 1973 general election, when he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD, taking over in Eamon de Valera's and Dr. Patrick Hillery's old constituency. He held his seat at six further general elections before losing it at the 1992 election. He was returned to the 28th Dáil at the 1997 general election but was defeated again in the 2002 election.

Daly was a strong supporter of Charles Haughey during his period as Fianna Fáil leader. In 1980 Daly became Minister of State at the Department of Labour. In 1982 he joined the Cabinet as Minister for Fisheries & Forestry. When Fianna Fáil returned to power after the 1987 general election he once again became a minister, this time as Minister for the Marine in the Twentieth Government of Ireland.

Daly lost his Cabinet seat when Fianna Fáil entered into coalition with the Progressive Democrats in 1989. He returned to the Cabinet in February 1991 when he became Minister for Defence. In November Albert Reynolds and Pádraig Flynn were sacked from the government and Daly was appointed Minister for Social Welfare. His time in Cabinet was short-lived because he was one of eight ministers who was sacked when Reynolds became Taoiseach in February 1992. Daly lost his Dáil seat in the election that year, but stood in the Seanad Éireann elections on the Agricultural Panel, and was returned to the 20th Seanad.

He was re-elected to Dáil Éireann again at the 1997 general election but lost his seat at the 2002 election. He stood for election to the 22nd Seanad on the Labour Panel, and was returned to the Senate for a second time.

[edit] Political career

Political offices
Preceded by Tom Fitzpatrick	Minister for Fisheries & Forestry 1982	Succeeded by Paddy O'Toole
Preceded by Paddy O'Toole	Minister for the Marine 1987–1989	Succeeded by John P. Wilson
Preceded by Noel Treacy	Minister of State at the Department of Finance 1989–1991	Succeeded by Vincent Brady
Preceded by Charles Haughey	Minister for Defence 1991	Succeeded by Vincent Brady
Preceded by Michael Woods	Minister for Social Welfare 1991–1992	Succeeded by Charlie McCreevy