Patricia McKenna
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Patricia McKenna is an Irish Green Party politician. Born March 1957 in Monaghan she became the first Green Party candidate in Ireland to be elected to European Parliament. She was elected to the European Parliament in 1994 and re-elected in the European elections in June 1999 but lost her seat in the European elections 2004. She acted as one of the Dáil advisers to Ireland's first Green TD, Roger Garland.
McKenna has been involved in many campaigns as an MEP and politician. She is perhaps best-known for her victory in the Supreme Court in 1995, in which she argued successfully that it was unconstitutional for the Irish government to spend taxpayers money promoting only one side of the argument in referendum campaigns. It is ironic to note that she then used public funds herself on referendum campaigns - as proven by the notice "sponsored by the Green Group in the European Parliament" that appeared on her leaflets campaigning against the Amsterdam Treaty. The only purpose for this notice is to qualify for funds from the budget line 3708, which were intended for use for non-electoral public information purposes (and forbidden - at the request of the Greens - for use in referenda).
She is also well-known for her opposition to nuclear power, genetically-modified crops, and US-led military aggression in various parts of the world.
McKenna also campaigned against the Irish Government's plan to join NATO's Partnership for Peace. She is a strong advocate of Irish neutrality and is widely associated with the Eurosceptic wing of her party.
McKenna is the Green Party candidate at the 2007 general election in the Dublin Central constituency.
