Bernard Durkan

Bernard Durkan TD
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office June 1997
Constituency	Kildare North
In office November 1982 – June 1997
In office June 1981 – February 1982
Constituency	Kildare
Senator
In office May 1982 – November 1982
Constituency	Agricultural Panel
Personal details
Born	26 March 1945 (1945-03-26) Killasser, County Mayo
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fine Gael

Bernard J. Durkan (born 26 March 1945) is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare North constituency.

He was born in Killasser, County Mayo, and educated at St. John's, Carramore, County Mayo.

He was elected to Dáil Éireann for the Kildare constituency at the 1981 general election, but lost his seat at the February 1982 general election following the defeat of the Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition. He was then elected as a member of the 16th Seanad by the Agricultural Panel.

Durkan regained his Dáil seat at the November 1982 general election, and was re-elected at the 1987, 1989, and 1992 general elections. When the Kildare constituency was divided, he was elected at the 1997 general election for the new constituency of Kildare North, and retained his seat at the 2002 and 2007 general elections.

During his career as a member of Dáil Éireann, he has held several Front Bench portfolios in Fine Gael, including Health, Food, Trade and Industry, Insurance, Overseas Development Aid and Human Rights, and Communications and Natural Resources. He served as Minister of State for Social Welfare from 1994–1997.

He has also served as Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs and as a member of the Public Accounts Committee. He has also acted as a member of the Eastern Health Board, and Chairman and member of Kildare County Council. He has also served as Fine Gael Chief Whip. He is currently chairman of the Dáil Committee on European Affairs.

Following the recent collapse of the Irish economy, Durkan has refused to defer the drawing of his ministerial salary while still being paid as a TD.

External links

• Bernard Durkan's page on the Fine Gael website

Oireachtas
Preceded by Constituency redrawn	Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Kildare 1981–Feb. 1982	Succeeded by Gerry Brady (Fianna Fáil)
Preceded by Gerry Brady (Fianna Fáil)	Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Kildare Nov. 1982–1997	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Kildare North 1997–present	Incumbent