Mary O'Rourke - Political Career

Political Career

O'Rourke began in local politics, serving on Athlone Urban District Council between 1974 and 1987 and on Westmeath County Council between 1979 and 1987. She was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1981 on the Cultural and Educational Panel. She stood unsuccessfully for the Dáil at the February 1982 general election but was subsequently re-elected to the Seanad. At the November 1982 general election, she was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Longford–Westmeath constituency, and from 1992 for the new Westmeath constituency.

In 1987 she was appointed Minister for Education by Charles Haughey. O'Rourke and her brother, Brian Lenihan, became the first brother and sister in Irish history to serve in the same cabinet. In the November 1991 cabinet reshuffle, O'Rourke became Minister for Health. In February 1992 Charles Haughey resigned as Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader. O'Rourke contested the subsequent leadership election along with Michael Woods and Albert Reynolds. Reynolds defeated the other two contenders and O'Rourke was subsequently dropped from the her ministerial position, but was appointed to a junior ministry as Minister of State for Labour Affairs at the Departments of Industry and Commerce, and later Enterprise and Employment.

In 1994 Bertie Ahern became party leader and he appointed O'Rourke as Deputy Leader, serving until 2002. Following Ahern's election as Taoiseach in June 1997 O'Rourke became Minister for Public Enterprise, holding this position until she lost her Dáil seat at the 2002 general election. This followed a vote management strategy from Fianna Fáil head office which restricted her from campaigning in her traditional areas around Kilbeggan, in an attempt to win 2 of the 3 seats in Westmeath. The loss of her Dáil seat has also been attributed to her association with and the championing of, the privatisation of Telecom Éireann, which proved a financial disaster for many small investors, due to the share price falling radically, post privatisation. During this term as Minister, she also became the subject of public criticism by Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary. Following the loss of her Dáil seat, she was nominated to Seanad Éireann by Bertie Ahern where she became Leader of the Seanad.

In January 2006 O'Rourke received the party nomination to stand at the 2007 general election. She narrowly defeated her nearest rival and Dáil election running mate, Kevin Boxer Moran of Athlone Town Council, causing a controversy when she thanked her election team for working "like blacks." In May 2007 she was re-elected to the Dáil at the 2007 general election with her highest ever vote.

In November 2008, during a march against the re-introduction of college fees, students from the Athlone Institute of Technology laid a funeral wreath at the door of O'Rourke's constituency office. The card in the wreath stated "Sincere sympathies on the death of free fees. We will remember this." O'Rourke described the act as "heinous". The wreath was placed there because O'Rourke was not speaking at a rally against the fees.

In July 2010 O'Rourke conceded that she did not expect the party to be in power after the next general election. On RTÉ Radio's Today with Pat Kenny programme, O'Rourke said the Government was taking tough decisions to steer the country through the financial crisis and this would make it easy for the Opposition. She said there was a general air of "crossness" within the Fianna Fáil party over their standing in the polls, but nobody was harbouring leadership ambitions to challenge Brian Cowen.

O'Rourke in November 2010 said there was then more to unite her party and Fine Gael than to divide them. She pointed to the common approach of the two parties to Northern Ireland, Europe and the current financial crisis. In an address to the 1916-1921 Club in Dublin Castle last night, the Lonford-Westmeath TD said that most voters no longer defined themselves in terms of Civil War politics. Having pointed to the shared values of the two parties on a number of issues, she said the last issue she wanted to mention was the “dreaded b” word.

Her senior years led her to often being referred to as the "Mammy of the Dáil".

She contested the 2011 general election, but was defeated on the poll. O'Rourke has criticised former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, saying that he should have resigned after his infamous "congested" radio interview. She supported the attack on Cowen by her nephew, former Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, who said he was "disappointed" by Cowen's performance and he had to provide the leadership when the Taoiseach did not.

In retirement, she will receive a lump sum of €237,000 and an annual pension of €97,000.