Bairbre de Brún
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| Bairbre de Brún MEP | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the European Parliament for Northern Ireland |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 13 June 2004 |
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| Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety | |
| In office 1999–2002 |
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| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Michael McGimpsey |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for West Belfast |
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| In office 25 June 1998 – 13 June 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Sue Ramsey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 January 1954 Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
| Political party | Sinn Féin / European United Left - Nordic Green Left |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin (BA Hons / H. Diploma in Education) Queen's University Belfast (P.G.C.E) |
| Profession | Politician Teacher |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Website | [1] |
Bairbre de Brún (born 10 January 1954) is an Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing Northern Ireland.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Political work
Born in Terenure, Dublin on 10 January 1954,[1] de Brún began her political career as a member of the National Committee Against the H-Blocks & Armagh Gaol in the late 1970s and early 1980s, focusing heavily on the treatment of women in Armagh Gaol.[2] Bairbre de Brún became an early member of Sinn Féin's Ard Chomhairle (English: High Council) and in 1998 became an MLA in the regional government, representing West Belfast. She was Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
By profession, de Brún was a teacher and taught in the Irish-medium education sector in west Belfast.[2] She was also a French and German teacher and is noted for her devotion to the Irish language.[citation needed] She has lived in the Andersonstown area of Belfast since the early 1980s. She is a fluent Irish speaker and an expert in human rights and equality issues. De Brún is also a member of the Sinn Féin negotiating team and traveled internationally on numerous occasions to promote the Irish peace process.[3]
She is a member of the Environment and Petitions Committee in the European Parliament and a substitute member of the Regional Development Committee. Following the 2004 Euro elections she was one of two Sinn Féin MEPs and the first Sinn Féin politician to represent Northern Ireland in the European Parliament. She sits with the European United Left - Nordic Green Left.[3] She topped the poll in the Northern Ireland constituency of the European Parliament in the 2009 European elections, resulting in a first for a nationalist or republican party.
She has also been a strong supporter of the Irish language and its use globally, and is one of the only MEPs to currently use Irish as her priority language, rarely making speeches within the parliament in English.[citation needed]
[edit] Electoral Performance (Northern Ireland)
[edit] European Parliament elections, 2009
| Party | Candidate | Seats | Loss/Gain | First Preference Votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % of vote | ||||||
| Sinn Féin | Bairbre de Brún | 1 | 0 | 126,184 | 25.8 | ||
| Democratic Unionist | Diane Dodds | 1 | 0 | 88,346 | 18.1 | ||
| Conservatives and Unionists | Jim Nicholson | 1 | 0 | 82,892 | 17.0 | ||
| SDLP | Alban Maginness | 0 | 0 | 78,489 | 16.1 | ||
| Traditional Unionist Voice | Jim Allister | 0 | 0 | 66,197 | 13.5 | ||
| Alliance | Ian Parsley | 0 | 0 | 26,699 | 5.5 | ||
| Green (NI) | Steven Agnew | 0 | 0 | 15,764 | 3.2 | ||
| Turnout[4] | 488,891 | 42.8 | |||||
Source: BBC News
[edit] European Parliament elections, 2004
| European Parliament election 2004: Northern Ireland[5] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate(s) | Seats | Loss/Gain | First Preference Votes | ||
| Number | % of vote | |||||
| Democratic Unionist | Jim Allister | 1 | 0 | 175,761 | 31.9 | |
| Sinn Féin | Bairbre de Brún | 1 | +1 | 144,541 | 26.3 | |
| Ulster Unionist | Jim Nicholson | 1 | 0 | 91,164 | 16.6 | |
| SDLP | Martin Morgan | 0 | -1 | 87,559 | 15.9 | |
| Independent | John Gilliland | 0 | 0 | 36,270 | 6.6 | |
| Socialist Environmental | Eamon McCann | 0 | 0 | 9,172 | 1.6 | |
| Green (NI) | Lindsay Whitcroft | 0 | 0 | 4,810 | 0.9 | |
| Total | 549,277 | |||||
| Turnout | 51.7 | |||||
[edit] References
- ^ a b Bairbre de Brún EU Parliament website
- ^ a b sinnfein. "Bairbre de Brún MEP - Six County". http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/14987. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ a b European Parliament. "Your MEP's Bairbre de Brún". European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch/view.do?country=GB&partNumber=1&zone=Northern+Ireland&language=EN&id=28511. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ "Electoral Office for Northern Ireland - Turnout" (PDF). http://www.eoni.org.uk/turnout_-_website-4.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ The 2004 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections
[edit] External links
- Official Sinn Féin biography
- European Parliament profile
- Maiden Speech : European Parliament - 21 July 2004
| Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | MLA for Belfast West 1998 - 2004 |
Succeeded by Sue Ramsey |
| European Parliament | ||
| Preceded by John Hume |
MEP for Northern Ireland 2004–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by New office |
Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety 1999 - 2000 |
Succeeded by Office suspended |
| Preceded by Office suspended |
Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety 2000 - 2002 |
Succeeded by Office suspended |
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Categories:
- 1954 births
- Living people
- Northern Ireland MLAs 1998–2003
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2003–2007
- Northern Ireland Government ministers
- People from Dublin (city)
- People of The Troubles (Northern Ireland)
- Sinn Féin politicians
- Female MEPs for the United Kingdom
- Female members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
- Sinn Féin MEPs
- MEPs for Northern Ireland 2004–2009
- MEPs for Northern Ireland 2009–2014
