Brian Cowen

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Brian Cowen, TD
Minister for Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office  September 29, 2004
Preceded by	Charlie McCreevy
Constituency	Laois-Offaly
Born	January 10, 1960 Clara, County Offaly
Political party	Fianna Fáil

Brian Cowen (Irish: Brian Ó Comhain; born 10 January 1960) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the constituency of Laois-Offaly since 1984 and since September, 2004 he has served as Minister for Finance. He has previously worked as Minister for Labour (1992-1993), Minister for Energy (1993), Minister for Transport, Energy & Communications (1993-1994), Minister for Health & Children (1997-2000) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (2000-2004). Cowen is also the Deputy-Leader of the Fianna Fáil party. ^[1]

Contents 1 Early and private life 2 Early political life 3 Cabinet minister, 1997-2004 4 Minister for Finance, 2004-present 5 The future 6 References 7 Political career 8 External links

[edit] Early and private life

Brian Cowen was born in Clara, County Offaly, the son of Bernard Cowen, a former Fianna Fáil TD and Senator, and the grandson of Christopher Cowen who was a Fianna Fáil County Councillor. ^[2] Cowen was educated at Clara National School, Ard Scoil Naomh Chiaráin, the Cistercian College of Mount St. Joseph in Roscrea, and at University College Dublin where he studied law. He subsequently qualified as a solicitor from the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland in Dublin.

Cowen is married to Mary Molloy and has two daughters. He is a member of the Gaelic Athletic Association he is a keen supporter of Offaly GAA in both hurling and Gaelic football, as well as being a supporter of his local GAA club. ^[3] Cowen is also one of the few members of the government that smokes^{[citation needed]} cigarettes.Source

[edit] Early political life

Cowen was elected to Dáil Éireann in the Laois-Offaly by-election of 1984, caused by the death of his father Bernard. At the time Cowen, at the age of 24, became one of the youngest-ever members of the Dáil. He was also appointed to Offaly County Council in the same year, taking over the seat vacated by his late father. He served on that authority until 1992.

Cowen remained on the backbenches of Dáil Éireann for the next seven years. Following the general election in 1989 when Fianna Fáil entered into a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats for the first time, Cowen was one of a number of TDs who were vehemently opposed to the move. Two years later in November 1991 the then Minister for Finance, Albert Reynolds, challenged Charles Haughey for the leadership of the party. Cowen firmly aligned himself behind Reynolds and quickly became a member of the so-called Country & Western gang. ^[4] Most of Reynold's supporters had rural Dáil seats outside of Dublin. Reynolds became leader on his second attempt, when Haughey was forced to retire as Taoiseach in 1992.

Reynolds appointed Cowen as Minister for Labour. In spite of being a member of the cabinet his attitude to his coalition partners, the Progressive Democrats, was hostile. This was evident at the Fianna Fáil party's Ard Fheis (party conference) in March 1992. In the main warm-up to the leader's address, Cowen was even more blunt regarding his attitude to coalition, making the statement, What about the PDs? When in doubt leave them out.

The election produced a hung Dáil and resulted in negotiations getting underway between all the main parties. Cowen, along with Noel Dempsey and Bertie Ahern, negotiated on behalf of Fianna Fáil in an attempt to form a government with the Labour Party. Cowen appeared^{[citation needed]} to be the most uncomfortable member of the team, however, he soon emerged as the hard man of the negotiations. A deal was reached between the two parties, and Cowen was again appointed Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. In that role he implemented the controversial decision to relax the so-called stopover at Shannon Airport, ^[5] The decision proved divisive and saw one Fianna Fáil TD, Síle de Valera, resign from the party in protest.

In 1994 Albert Reynolds resigned as Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil. Bertie Ahern became the new leader, however, the party was now in opposition. Cowen was appointed to the front bench, first as spokesperson on Agriculture, Food and Forestry (1994) and later as spokesperson on Health (1997).

[edit] Cabinet minister, 1997-2004

When Fianna Fáil returned to power in 1997, Cowen was appointed to the newly-expanded position of Minister for Health & Children. Having dealt with a prolonged nurses strike, as well as problems regarding hospital bed shoratges, Cowen himself described his period there^[1] as like being in Angola. Cowen became Minister for Foreign Affairs in January 2000.

Cowen's tenure as Foreign Minister saw extensive negotiations continue regarding the Northern Ireland peace process and other international activities, particularly when Ireland gained a place on the United Nations Security Council. In 2003 Cowen, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, was the victim of a bizarre personal attack by the leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, Ian Paisley, ^[6] In front of a crowd of party supporters and in the presence of television cameras and radio reporters, Paisley launched^[2] into a diatribe about Cowen's personal appearance. ^[7] In 2004 Cowen played a key role during Ireland's Presidency of the European Council and the simultaneous expansion of the European Union.

[edit] Minister for Finance, 2004-present

In September 2004, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, announced a Cabinet reshuffle. Following the departure of Charlie McCreevy it was an open secret that Cowen was destined to succeed him in as Minister for Finance. On December 1, 2004, Cowen announced his first budget, a budget that was generally seen^{[citation needed]} as a give-away budget. In a poll^{[citation needed]} asking people how they rated Cowen's first Budget, 48 per cent said that 'overall he got the balance just about right', 26 per cent said 'Not bad, he should have done more for the underprivileged' and the other 26 per cent said 'Same old stuff, just presented differently'.Source Cowen's second budget of December 2005 was again a give-away, with tax-reduction and new spending plans, particularly in child-care, calculated to result^{[citation needed]} in a small deficit of 0.4%.

[edit] The future

At present Brian Cowen is seen^{[citation needed]} as one of the most likely contenders to succeed Bertie Ahern as leader of Fianna Fáil. His other rivals^{[citation needed]} for the top job include Micheál Martin and Dermot Ahern, however, depending on when Ahern steps down others, such as Mary Hanafin and Brian Lenihan, Jr., may also be in the running^{[citation needed]}. In spite of this speculation^{[citation needed]} Cowen, however, is reluctant to comment on his future political ambitions and has stated that he is satisfied serving as a Cabinet Minister. Cowen has deputised^{[citation needed]} for the Taoiseach during leaders' questions in the Dáil, in the absence of the Tánaiste, and recently, during a crisis in government in May 2006 over new rape legislation, Cowen made a number of public statements^{[citation needed]} on behalf of the government, that were outside his brief as Minister for Finance.

[edit] References

1. ^ He is regarded as one of the most able members of the present Irish government^{[citation needed]} and is widely tipped^{[citation needed]} as a future leader of Fianna Fáil and a future Taoiseach.
2. ^ The family owned a butchers shop and public house in the town.
3. ^ In spite of being one of the most high profile members of the government Cowen has not lost the common touch and can sometimes be seen mixing with his constituents in some of the local pubs in his native Offaly. In May 2003 he took part in a charity CD project organised by 'The Brewery Tap' pub in Tullamore. All proceeds from the CD went to charity and featured 28 songs, including Cowen singing the Phil Coulter song, "The Town I Loved So Well".
4. ^ Reynolds's supporters earned this nickname due to the fact that Reynolds had made a lot of money in the dance hall business in the 1960s.
5. ^ This allowed limited direct trans-atlantic flights from Dublin Airport.
6. ^ Paisley is an outspoken critic of the Republic of Ireland and its government.
7. ^ Paisley referred to Cowen's mother also.

[edit] Political career

Preceded by Ber Cowen	Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Laois-Offaly 1984 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Michael O'Kennedy	Minister for Labour 1992–1993	Succeeded by Mervyn Taylor
Preceded by Albert Reynolds	Minister for Energy January 1993	Succeeded by Minister for Tourism & Trade Charlie McCreevy
Preceded by Minister for Tourism, Transport & Communications Charlie McCreevy	Minister for Transport, Energy & Communications 1993–1994	Succeeded by Michael Lowry
Preceded by Minister for Health Michael Noonan	Minister for Health & Children 1997–2000	Succeeded by Micheál Martin
Preceded by David Andrews	Minister for Foreign Affairs 2000–2004	Succeeded by Dermot Ahern
Preceded by Mary O'Rourke	Deputy-Leader of Fianna Fáil 2002–	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Charlie McCreevy	Minister for Finance 2004–

[edit] External links

• Brian Cowen's page on the Fianna Fáil website
• Brian Cowen's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)