Noel Dempsey
Encyclopedia
Noel Dempsey is a former Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Meath and Meath West constituencies from 1987 to 2011. Dempsey has also served as Minister for Environment and Local Government (1997–2002), Minister for Education and Science (2002–04), Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (2004–07) and Minister for Transport (2007–11).
, County Meath
in 1953. He is one of twelve sons born and educated locally at Scoil Naomh Brid in Boardsmill and St. Michael's CBS
in Trim. Dempsey later attended University College Dublin
where he was conferred with a Bachelor of Arts
degree as well as a diploma in career guidance. He subsequently completed a Higher Diploma in Education at St Patrick's College, Maynooth
and worked as a career guidance teacher for many years.
Dempsey is married to Bernadette Rattigan and they have four children – two sons and two daughters. He is also a member of the Gaelic Athletic Association
and is a keen supporter of the Meath
Gaelic football
team as well as his local club teams. He has also been a member of Macra na Feirme and Muintir na Tíre
.
, the youth wing of the Fianna Fáil
political party. He later attended and spoke at the first ever national conference of Ógra. Within three years of this Dempsey was co-opted onto Meath County Council
as a Fianna Fáil councillor in 1977 following the death of John Bird. At the time he was the youngest ever member of that authority and he later served as the youngest ever chairman of the council in 1986. Dempsey enhanced his local political profile at this time by also serving as a member of Trim Urban District Council.
Dempsey was first elected to Dáil Éireann
at the 1987 general election
as a Fianna Fáil TD for Meath. Shortly after being elected he became a member of the Public Accounts Committee, one of the most high-profile committees in the Dáil. Dempsey was initially a supporter of the Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey
, however, he became disillusioned with his leadership when he led Fianna Fáil into coalition with the Progressive Democrats
following the 1989 general election
. He was one of a number of TDs who were vehemently opposed to such a move. As a result of this Dempsey remained on the backbenches.
In September 1991 Dempsey was a key member of the so-called "gang of four" which proposed a motion of no confidence
in Charles Haughey as the leader of the party. The other members of the group were Seán Power, Liam Fitzgerald
and M. J. Nolan
. Dempsey supported Albert Reynolds
in his unsuccessful bid to oust Haughey on that occasion. In 1992 Reynolds eventually became party leader and Taoiseach
and Dempsey's loyalty was rewarded by being appointed Minister of State
with responsibility as government chief whip
. He also took charge of the Office of Public Works
. He served in these positions until the resignation of Reynolds as Taoiseach and the collapse of the Fianna Fáil-Labour Party
in 1994.
In December 1994 Bertie Ahern became leader of Fianna Fáil as the party moved into opposition. Dempsey was appointed to the front bench
as spokesperson on the Environment and Local Government. During this period in opposition he was heavily involved in key election strategies, most notably in the Dublin West by-election which was won by Brian Lenihan, Jnr
. It was Fianna Fáil's first by-election victory since 1985.
Dempsey was a key player in helping to negotiate a programme for government between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats
. When Bertie Ahern became Taoiseach Dempsey was appointed to the position of Minister for the Environment and Local Government. His tenure as minister has been described as one of reform and modernisation, with Frank McDonald of The Irish Times
even describing Dempsey as the best holder of the environment portfolio since the position was created.
Some of Dempsey's major achievements as minister include the introduction of the Local Government Act 2000 which was seen as the most comprehensive reform of local government in Ireland for over a century. One of his best known initiatives was the introduction of a levy on plastic shopping bags leading to a reduction in the usage of these bags and a serious decrease in the litter problem related to these plastic bags. Dempsey also proposed to end the 'dual mandate' whereby a person can serve as a county councillor and a TD at the same time. This proposal, however, led to severe opposition from the Independent TDs who supported the government at the time and had to be deferred. The legislation eventually became law in 2003.
During his tenure as minister Dempsey continued to serve as the Fianna Fáil director of elections. His first major success was the election of Mary McAleese
to the position of President of Ireland
in 1997. Two years later in 1999 he presided over the most successful local election campaign for the party ever.
.
pipeline planned for Kilcommon
, Erris
, Dempsey employed a firm to carry it out. Only after the report was concluded did it emerge that the firm was half owned by Royal Dutch Shell
, a fact which they neglected to relate to the minister. An embarrassed Dempsey was forced to hastily commission another report.
Coming to the end of his tenure at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and before the reshuffle after the general election in May 2007 his department pursued the resurrection of Digital Terrestrial Television following its failure to be established under the Broadcasting Act 2001 due to unfavourable economic conditions for venture capital around the DTT market in many countries in 2001. First his department invited tenders to build and programme a DTT trial in Dublin and Louth. The failure seemed to lie around a commercial network builder model and the difficulties in creating revenue generation return for such investment and the solution seems to be the involvement of broadcasters in building the networks. An amended piece of legislation amended this model towards a multiple ultiplex operator model and resulted resulted in the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007
(No. 15 of 2007). A similar model has been successful during the intervening years in the UK and Spain.
To that end his department also established a DTT trial in August 2006 to run for 2 years around Three Rock, Dublin transmitter and Claremont Carn, in County Louth.
and perceived uncontactability at this time when severe weather conditions led to massive disruption in across Ireland's transport systems.
Dempsey receives pension payments of €119,177 every year.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Meath and Meath West constituencies from 1987 to 2011. Dempsey has also served as Minister for Environment and Local Government (1997–2002), Minister for Education and Science (2002–04), Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (2004–07) and Minister for Transport (2007–11).
Early and private life
Noel Dempsey was born in TrimTrim, County Meath
Trim is the traditional county town of County Meath in Ireland, although the county town is now Navan. The town was recorded in the 2006 census to have a population of 6,870....
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1953. He is one of twelve sons born and educated locally at Scoil Naomh Brid in Boardsmill and St. Michael's CBS
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
in Trim. Dempsey later attended University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
where he was conferred with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree as well as a diploma in career guidance. He subsequently completed a Higher Diploma in Education at St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
and worked as a career guidance teacher for many years.
Dempsey is married to Bernadette Rattigan and they have four children – two sons and two daughters. He is also a member of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
and is a keen supporter of the Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team as well as his local club teams. He has also been a member of Macra na Feirme and Muintir na Tíre
Muintir na Tíre
Muintir na Tíre is a national Irish voluntary organisation dedicated to promoting the process of community development. Canon Hayes founded the organisation in 1937. It aims to enhance the capacities of people in communities, rural and urban, to become involved in local social, economic, cultural...
.
Early political career
Dempsey first became involved in politics in the early 1970s when he joined Ógra Fianna FáilÓgra Fianna Fáil
Ógra Fianna Fáil is the youth wing of Fianna Fáil, a political party in Ireland. Within Fianna Fáil it is simply called Ógra . It was founded in 1975 by party leader Jack Lynch under the guidance of party general secretary, Séamus Brennan. In the Republic, it is active in some major Third Level...
, the youth wing of the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
political party. He later attended and spoke at the first ever national conference of Ógra. Within three years of this Dempsey was co-opted onto Meath County Council
Meath County Council
Meath County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Meath in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and the environment. The head of the council has the title of...
as a Fianna Fáil councillor in 1977 following the death of John Bird. At the time he was the youngest ever member of that authority and he later served as the youngest ever chairman of the council in 1986. Dempsey enhanced his local political profile at this time by also serving as a member of Trim Urban District Council.
Dempsey was first elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the 1987 general election
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
as a Fianna Fáil TD for Meath. Shortly after being elected he became a member of the Public Accounts Committee, one of the most high-profile committees in the Dáil. Dempsey was initially a supporter of the Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
, however, he became disillusioned with his leadership when he led Fianna Fáil into coalition with the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
following the 1989 general election
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
. He was one of a number of TDs who were vehemently opposed to such a move. As a result of this Dempsey remained on the backbenches.
In September 1991 Dempsey was a key member of the so-called "gang of four" which proposed a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in Charles Haughey as the leader of the party. The other members of the group were Seán Power, Liam Fitzgerald
Liam Fitzgerald
Liam Joseph Fitzgerald is an Irish politician and former Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála and Senator.Fitzgerald was born in Doon, County Limerick and educated at the Christian Brothers school in Doon, St. Patrick's Teacher Training College, Drumcondra, Dublin and University College Dublin. He worked...
and M. J. Nolan
M. J. Nolan
M. J. Nolan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1982–97 and 2002–11....
. Dempsey supported Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds , served as Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...
in his unsuccessful bid to oust Haughey on that occasion. In 1992 Reynolds eventually became party leader and Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
and Dempsey's loyalty was rewarded by being appointed Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
with responsibility as government chief whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
. He also took charge of the Office of Public Works
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...
. He served in these positions until the resignation of Reynolds as Taoiseach and the collapse of the Fianna Fáil-Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
in 1994.
In December 1994 Bertie Ahern became leader of Fianna Fáil as the party moved into opposition. Dempsey was appointed to the front bench
Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)
Fine Gael is the largest political party in the Oireachtas. The Fine Gael leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly correspond to those of Government ministers. -Fine Gael Front Bench:...
as spokesperson on the Environment and Local Government. During this period in opposition he was heavily involved in key election strategies, most notably in the Dublin West by-election which was won by Brian Lenihan, Jnr
Brian Lenihan, Jnr
Brian Joseph Lenihan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister who served in the government of Ireland as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2007 to 2008 and as Minister for Finance from 2008 to 2011...
. It was Fianna Fáil's first by-election victory since 1985.
Minister for the Environment and Local Government (1997–2002)
Following the 1997 general electionIrish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
Dempsey was a key player in helping to negotiate a programme for government between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
. When Bertie Ahern became Taoiseach Dempsey was appointed to the position of Minister for the Environment and Local Government. His tenure as minister has been described as one of reform and modernisation, with Frank McDonald of The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
even describing Dempsey as the best holder of the environment portfolio since the position was created.
Some of Dempsey's major achievements as minister include the introduction of the Local Government Act 2000 which was seen as the most comprehensive reform of local government in Ireland for over a century. One of his best known initiatives was the introduction of a levy on plastic shopping bags leading to a reduction in the usage of these bags and a serious decrease in the litter problem related to these plastic bags. Dempsey also proposed to end the 'dual mandate' whereby a person can serve as a county councillor and a TD at the same time. This proposal, however, led to severe opposition from the Independent TDs who supported the government at the time and had to be deferred. The legislation eventually became law in 2003.
During his tenure as minister Dempsey continued to serve as the Fianna Fáil director of elections. His first major success was the election of Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
to the position of President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
in 1997. Two years later in 1999 he presided over the most successful local election campaign for the party ever.
Minister for Education and Science (2002–04)
Following the re-election of the government in 2002 Dempsey became Minister for Education and Science. He took over as minister at a time when one of the teachers unions was extremely dissatisfied with a number of pay issues. These issues were eventually resolved in 2002 shortly after taking office. As Minister for Education, Dempsey was forced into an embarrassing climb down in 2004 on his proposal to re-introduce third-level fees. The move was opposed by the Union of Students in Ireland and by the Progressive DemocratsProgressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
.
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (2004–07)
Following a cabinet reshuffle in September 2004 Dempsey was appointed Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. During his tenure he oversaw the controversial Corrib gas project. After agreeing to have an independent assessment of the raw gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
pipeline planned for Kilcommon
Kilcommon
Kilcommon is a civil parish in Erris, north Mayo consisting of two large peninsulas; Dún Chaocháin and Dún Chiortáin. It consists of 37 townlands, some of which are so remote that they have no inhabitants...
, Erris
Erris
Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...
, Dempsey employed a firm to carry it out. Only after the report was concluded did it emerge that the firm was half owned by Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, a fact which they neglected to relate to the minister. An embarrassed Dempsey was forced to hastily commission another report.
Coming to the end of his tenure at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and before the reshuffle after the general election in May 2007 his department pursued the resurrection of Digital Terrestrial Television following its failure to be established under the Broadcasting Act 2001 due to unfavourable economic conditions for venture capital around the DTT market in many countries in 2001. First his department invited tenders to build and programme a DTT trial in Dublin and Louth. The failure seemed to lie around a commercial network builder model and the difficulties in creating revenue generation return for such investment and the solution seems to be the involvement of broadcasters in building the networks. An amended piece of legislation amended this model towards a multiple ultiplex operator model and resulted resulted in the Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007
Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 2007
The Broadcasting Act 2007 is an Act of the Oireachtas .It deals with Irish Analogue broadcasting systems and the amendment of legislation on Digital Terrestrial Television dating back to 2001. This act amends previous acts, in particular the Broadcasting Act 2001...
(No. 15 of 2007). A similar model has been successful during the intervening years in the UK and Spain.
To that end his department also established a DTT trial in August 2006 to run for 2 years around Three Rock, Dublin transmitter and Claremont Carn, in County Louth.
Minister for Transport (2007–11)
Following the 2007 general election Dempsey was appointed as Minister for Transport. Among legislation introduced was the requirement of those on provisional driving licences to be accompanied by a qualified driver, which came into effect on 1 July 2008. Dempsey received widespread criticism across all the Irish media over his January 2010 holiday in MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and perceived uncontactability at this time when severe weather conditions led to massive disruption in across Ireland's transport systems.
Retirement from politics
On 17 December 2010, he announced that he would not be contesting the 2011 general election. On 19 January 2011, he announced his resignation as Minister for Transport.Dempsey receives pension payments of €119,177 every year.