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==Early life==
==Early life==
White grew up in [[Marino, Dublin]]. He was educated at Chanel College Coolock, [[Trinity College, Dublin]], and the [[King's Inns]]. He was called to the Bar in 1987.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.alexwhite.ie/meet.php?y=1&x=8|title=Alex White: Biography|work=alexwhite.ie|accessdate=3 March 2011}}</ref>
White grew up in [[Marino, Dublin]]. He was educated at Chanel College Coolock, [[Trinity College, Dublin]], and the [[King's Inns]]. He was called to the Bar in 1987.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.alexwhite.ie/meet.php?y=1&x=8 |title=Alex White: Biography |work=alexwhite.ie |accessdate=3 March 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205193117/http://www.alexwhite.ie:80/meet.php?y=1&x=8 |archivedate=5 February 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>


White was a student activist in Trinity College, Dublin, where he was president of the Students' Union and also for a time a supporter of various Trotskyist groupings, including the [[League for a Workers Republic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/eoghan-harris/eoghan-harris-section-31-saved-many-young-men-of-20-from-pira-2982494.html|title=Section 31 saved many young men of 20 from PIRA|work=[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]|date=8 January 2012}}</ref> He was later a national officer of the [[Union of Students in Ireland]]. During his time as a producer with [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann|RTÉ]] he was active in the [[SIPTU]] trade union. In common with [[Mary McAleese]] he was attacked and criticised by a group led by [[Eoghan Harris]] and associated with the [[Workers' Party of Ireland|Workers' Party]] over what they perceived as their bias towards Republican groups in the North.<ref name="HanleyMillar2009">{{cite book|last1=Hanley|first1=Brian|last2=Millar|first2=Scott|title=The lost revolution: the story of the official IRA and the workers' party|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6814880.ece|accessdate=16 January 2011|date=26 March 2009|publisher=Penguin Ireland|isbn=978-1-84488-120-8}}</ref> White was a strong opponent of Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, which prevented [[Sinn Féin]] members from being heard.
White was a student activist in Trinity College, Dublin, where he was president of the Students' Union and also for a time a supporter of various Trotskyist groupings, including the [[League for a Workers Republic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/eoghan-harris/eoghan-harris-section-31-saved-many-young-men-of-20-from-pira-2982494.html|title=Section 31 saved many young men of 20 from PIRA|work=[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]|date=8 January 2012}}</ref> He was later a national officer of the [[Union of Students in Ireland]]. During his time as a producer with [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann|RTÉ]] he was active in the [[SIPTU]] trade union. In common with [[Mary McAleese]] he was attacked and criticised by a group led by [[Eoghan Harris]] and associated with the [[Workers' Party of Ireland|Workers' Party]] over what they perceived as their bias towards Republican groups in the North.<ref name="HanleyMillar2009">{{cite book|last1=Hanley|first1=Brian|last2=Millar|first2=Scott|title=The lost revolution: the story of the official IRA and the workers' party|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6814880.ece|accessdate=16 January 2011|date=26 March 2009|publisher=Penguin Ireland|isbn=978-1-84488-120-8}}</ref> White was a strong opponent of Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, which prevented [[Sinn Féin]] members from being heard.
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White was nominated as a general election candidate in 2007 by the Labour Party leadership. He had voted for coalition with [[Fine Gael]] in a Labour Party congress (the line of [[Pat Rabbitte]], then leader of the party). His election to the Senate was due to a voting pact with [[Sinn Féin]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0709/1183751671183.html|title=Labour and SF discuss voting pact to elect senators|date=7 July 2007|work=[[The Irish Times]]|accessdate=7 January 2010}}</ref>
White was nominated as a general election candidate in 2007 by the Labour Party leadership. He had voted for coalition with [[Fine Gael]] in a Labour Party congress (the line of [[Pat Rabbitte]], then leader of the party). His election to the Senate was due to a voting pact with [[Sinn Féin]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0709/1183751671183.html|title=Labour and SF discuss voting pact to elect senators|date=7 July 2007|work=[[The Irish Times]]|accessdate=7 January 2010}}</ref>


He was the Labour Party candidate in the [[Dublin South by-election, 2009|2009 by-election]] in Dublin South.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1022/1224625076763.html|title=In short|date=22 October 2008|work=[[The Irish Times]]|accessdate=23 October 2008}}</ref> He came second behind the former RTÉ economics editor [[George Lee (Irish politician)|George Lee]].<ref name=elecs_irl/> White was his party's Seanad group leader and national spokesperson on children between 2007 and February 2011, when he was elected to the Dáil. He subsequently was appointed as chairman of the Joint [[Oireachtas]] Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.labour.ie/peopleandplaces/spokespersons.html|title=Party spokespersons|work=Labour.ie|accessdate=24 August 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927022127/http://labour.ie/peopleandplaces/spokespersons.html|archivedate=27 September 2010|deadurl= no}}</ref>
He was the Labour Party candidate in the [[Dublin South by-election, 2009|2009 by-election]] in Dublin South.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1022/1224625076763.html|title=In short|date=22 October 2008|work=[[The Irish Times]]|accessdate=23 October 2008}}</ref> He came second behind the former RTÉ economics editor [[George Lee (Irish politician)|George Lee]].<ref name=elecs_irl/> White was his party's Seanad group leader and national spokesperson on children between 2007 and February 2011, when he was elected to the Dáil. He subsequently was appointed as chairman of the Joint [[Oireachtas]] Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.labour.ie/peopleandplaces/spokespersons.html |title=Party spokespersons |work=Labour.ie |accessdate=24 August 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927022127/http://labour.ie/peopleandplaces/spokespersons.html |archivedate=27 September 2010 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref>


White was leader of an Oireachtas delegation that met the [[Bundestag]]'s Budgetary and European Affairs committees in [[Berlin]] in late January 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0126/finance.html|title=Oireachtas delegation in Bundestag meeting|work=[[RTÉ News]]|date=26 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref>
White was leader of an Oireachtas delegation that met the [[Bundestag]]'s Budgetary and European Affairs committees in [[Berlin]] in late January 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0126/finance.html|title=Oireachtas delegation in Bundestag meeting|work=[[RTÉ News]]|date=26 January 2012|accessdate=26 January 2012}}</ref>

Revision as of 10:15, 8 October 2016

Alex White
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
In office
11 July 2014 – 6 May 2016
TaoiseachEnda Kenny
Preceded byPat Rabbitte
Succeeded byDenis Naughten
Minister of State for Primary Care
In office
27 September 2012 – 11 July 2014
TaoiseachEnda Kenny
Preceded byRóisín Shortall
Succeeded byKathleen Lynch
Leader of the Labour Party in the Seanad
In office
13 September 2007 – 8 March 2011
LeaderEamon Gilmore
Preceded byBrendan Ryan
Succeeded byPhil Prendergast (acting)
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2011 – February 2016
ConstituencyDublin South
Senator
In office
July 2007 – February 2011
ConstituencyCultural and Educational Panel
Personal details
Born (1958-12-03) 3 December 1958 (age 65)
Marino, Dublin, Ireland
Political partyLabour Party
SpouseMary Corcoran
Children2
Alma materTrinity College, Dublin
Websitewww.alexwhite.ie

Alex White (born 3 December 1958) is an Irish senior counsel, Labour Party politician, and former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.[1] He was elected at the 2011 general election as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin South, having previously been member of Seanad Éireann, elected by the Cultural and Educational Panel in 2007.[2] He lost his Dáil seat in 2016.

Early life

White grew up in Marino, Dublin. He was educated at Chanel College Coolock, Trinity College, Dublin, and the King's Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1987.[3]

White was a student activist in Trinity College, Dublin, where he was president of the Students' Union and also for a time a supporter of various Trotskyist groupings, including the League for a Workers Republic.[4] He was later a national officer of the Union of Students in Ireland. During his time as a producer with RTÉ he was active in the SIPTU trade union. In common with Mary McAleese he was attacked and criticised by a group led by Eoghan Harris and associated with the Workers' Party over what they perceived as their bias towards Republican groups in the North.[5] White was a strong opponent of Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, which prevented Sinn Féin members from being heard.

Political career

He was first elected to South Dublin County Council in 2004, for the Terenure-Rathfarnham electoral area. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2007 general election in the Dublin South constituency.[6]

White was nominated as a general election candidate in 2007 by the Labour Party leadership. He had voted for coalition with Fine Gael in a Labour Party congress (the line of Pat Rabbitte, then leader of the party). His election to the Senate was due to a voting pact with Sinn Féin.[7]

He was the Labour Party candidate in the 2009 by-election in Dublin South.[8] He came second behind the former RTÉ economics editor George Lee.[6] White was his party's Seanad group leader and national spokesperson on children between 2007 and February 2011, when he was elected to the Dáil. He subsequently was appointed as chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform.[9]

White was leader of an Oireachtas delegation that met the Bundestag's Budgetary and European Affairs committees in Berlin in late January 2012.[10]

White was formally nominated for the position of Minister of State for Primary Care by Eamon Gilmore, on 27 September 2012, following the resignation of Róisín Shortall.[11]

Following the resignation of Eamon Gilmore as Leader of the Labour Party in the aftermath of Labour's poor result at the local and European elections, White announced his candidacy for the party leadership. On 4 July 2014, Joan Burton was elected as Labour Party leader, defeating White by 77% to 22%.[12]

On 11 July 2014, he was appointed Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in a cabinet reshuffle.[13]

White lost his seat at the 2016 general election.[6] He remained Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in an acting capacity during prolonged talks on government formation, earning €13,515 in that time.[14]

References

  1. ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0711/629951-cabinet/
  2. ^ "Mr. Alex White". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Alex White: Biography". alexwhite.ie. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Section 31 saved many young men of 20 from PIRA". Sunday Independent. 8 January 2012.
  5. ^ Hanley, Brian; Millar, Scott (26 March 2009). The lost revolution: the story of the official IRA and the workers' party. Penguin Ireland. ISBN 978-1-84488-120-8. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  6. ^ a b c "Alex White". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  7. ^ "Labour and SF discuss voting pact to elect senators". The Irish Times. 7 July 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  8. ^ "In short". The Irish Times. 22 October 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  9. ^ "Party spokespersons". Labour.ie. Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Oireachtas delegation in Bundestag meeting". RTÉ News. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Eamon Gilmore proposes Alex White to replace Roisin Shortall". RTÉ News. 27 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Need to govern with more heart, says Joan Burton". RTÉ News. 4 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Live: Cabinet reshuffle". RTÉ News. 11 July 2014.
  14. ^ McGrath, Meadhbh (6 May 2016). "Revealed: The salaries TDs pocketed over 10 weeks of government talks". Irish Independent.
Oireachtas
Preceded by Labour Party Teachta Dála for Dublin South
2011–2016
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for Primary Care
2012–2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
2014–2016
Succeeded by