Brendan Smith (politician)

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Not to be confused with Brendan Smyth (politician).

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For other people named Brendan Smith, see Brendan Smith (disambiguation).
Brendan Smith
TD
Minister for Justice and Law Reform
In office
20 January 2011 – 9 March 2011
Preceded by Dermot Ahern
Succeeded by Alan Shatter (Justice and Equality)
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In office
7 May 2008 – 9 March 2011
Preceded by Mary Coughlan
Succeeded by Simon Coveney (Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Minister of State for Children
In office
20 June 2007 – 7 May 2008
Preceded by Brian Lenihan
Succeeded by Barry Andrews
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
November 1992
Constituency Cavan–Monaghan
Personal details
Born (1956-06-01) 1 June 1956 (age 67)
Cavan, Ireland
Political party Fianna Fáil
Spouse(s) Anne McGarry
Alma mater University College Dublin
Website www.brendansmith.ie

Brendan Smith (born June 1956) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency since 1992.[1] He previously served as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (2008–11) and Minister for Justice and Law Reform (2011).

Born in Cavan in 1956, Smith was educated at Bawnboy national school, St. Camillus College (Killucan, County Westmeath), and University College Dublin where he gained a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Economics. For 15 years he worked as special advisor to the Fianna Fáil politician and former Tánaiste, John Wilson.

Smith was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1992 general election for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency and has been re-elected at every subsequent election.[2] In the 28th Dáil, he was Government Whip on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. In Bertie Ahern's 2004 cabinet reshuffle, Smith was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food with special responsibility for Food and Horticulture.

Following the 2007 general election, Smith became Minister for Children at the Department of Health and Children succeeding Brian_Lenihan, Jnr in that position.

On 7 May 2008 he was appointed as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Brian Cowen's cabinet. In July 2010 Smith launched the Food Harvest 2020 strategy. Its overall target to increase the value of Ireland's agri-food and fisheries exports by €5bn to reach €12bn by 2020.[3] A September 2012 progress report on the Food Harvest 2020 strategy found that farmers and other primary producers had passed the halfway mark towards meeting their 2020 targets.[4]

In 2010, during his term as Minister for Agriculture, he offered free cheese to Ireland's poor via a European Union scheme that had been around since the 1980s.[5] The public received Smith's announcement poorly and it was reported outside Ireland as the country became "a laughing stock internationally".[6][7][8] Smith was then forced to defend his own scheme.[9]

Following the resignation of Dermot Ahern in January 2011, Smith was also appointed as Minister for Justice and Law Reform.[10]

Just before leaving office, Smith gave the go-ahead for genetically modified organism (GMO) foods to enter Ireland. He told the media that Ireland had “altered its voting position” and would back proposals from the European Commission “aimed at authorising the placing on the market of food, food ingredients and feed containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified maize and cotton”. Smith also said that Ireland would now tolerate “the low-level presence of, as yet, unauthorised GMO varieties in imports of animal food”.[11]

He was the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Education and Skills from April 2011 to July 2012. In July 2012 he was appointed as party spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Border Region Development.

References

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External links

Oireachtas
Preceded by Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cavan–Monaghan
1992–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for Food and Horticulture
2004–2007		 Succeeded by
Trevor Sargent
Preceded by Minister of State for Children
2007–2008		 Succeeded by
Barry Andrews
Preceded by Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
2008–2011		 Succeeded by
Simon Coveney
as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Preceded by Minister for Justice and Law Reform
2011		 Succeeded by
Alan Shatter
as Minister for Justice and Equality
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