Editing Noel Dempsey

{{Short description|Irish former Fianna Fáil politician (b. 1953)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image         = Noel Dempsey, 2004 (cropped).jpg
| caption       = Dempsey in 2004
| office        = [[Minister for Transport (Ireland)|Minister for Transport]]
| taoiseach     = {{ubl|[[Bertie Ahern]]|[[Brian Cowen]]}}
| term_start    = 14 June 2007
| term_end      = 19 January 2011
| predecessor   = [[Martin Cullen]]
| successor     = [[Pat Carey]]
| office1       = [[Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications|Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources]]
| taoiseach1    = Bertie Ahern
| term_start1   = 29 September 2004
| term_end1     = 14 June 2007
| predecessor1  = [[Dermot Ahern]]
| successor1    = [[Eamon Ryan]]
| office2       = [[Minister for Education (Ireland)|Minister for Education and Science]]
| taoiseach2    = Bertie Ahern
| term_start2   = 6 June 2002
| term_end2     = 29 September 2004
| predecessor2  = [[Michael Woods (Irish politician)|Michael Woods]]
| successor2    = [[Mary Hanafin]]
| office3       = [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister for the Environment and Local Government]]
| taoiseach3    = Bertie Ahern
| term_start3   = 26 June 1997
| term_end3     = 6 June 2002
| predecessor3  = [[Brendan Howlin]]
| successor3    = Martin Cullen
| office4       = [[Minister of State (Ireland)|Minister of State]]
| suboffice4    = [[Minister of State at the Department of Finance|Finance]]
| subterm4      = 1993–1994
| suboffice5    = [[Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach|Government Chief Whip]]
| subterm5      = 1992–1994
| suboffice6    = [[Minister of State at the Department of Defence|Defence]]
| subterm6      = 1992–1994
| office7       = [[Teachta Dála]]
| term_start7   = [[2007 Irish general election|May 2007]]
| term_end7     = [[2011 Irish general election|February 2011]]
| constituency7 = [[Meath West (Dáil constituency)|Meath West]]
| term_start8   = [[1987 Irish general election|February 1987]]
| term_end8     = [[2007 Irish general election|May 2007]]
| constituency8 = [[Meath (Dáil constituency)|Meath]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1953|1|6|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Trim, County Meath|Trim]], [[County Meath]], Ireland
| death_date    = 
| death_place   =
| nationality   = [[Irish people|Irish]]
| party         = [[Fianna Fáil]]
| spouse        = {{marriage|Bernadette Rattigan|1990}}
| children      = 4, including [[Aisling Dempsey|Aisling]]
| alma_mater    = {{Ubl|[[University College Dublin]]|[[St Patrick's College, Maynooth]]}}
|}}
'''Noel Dempsey''' (born 6 January 1953) is an Irish former [[Fianna Fáil]] politician who served as [[Minister for Transport (Ireland)|Minister for Transport]] from 2007 to 2011, [[Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications|Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources]] from 2004 to 2007, [[Minister for Education (Ireland)|Minister for Education and Science]] from 2002 to 2004, [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister for the Environment and Local Government]] from 1997 to 2002, [[Minister of State at the Department of Finance]] from 1993 to 1994, [[Minister of State at the Department of Defence]] and [[Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach|Government Chief Whip]] from 1992 to 1994. He served as a [[Teachta Dála]] (TD) from 1987 to 2011.<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Noel-Dempsey.D.1987-03-10/|title=Noel Dempsey|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=15 September 2009|archive-date=6 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106210738/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Noel-Dempsey.D.1987-03-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Early and private life==
Dempsey was born in [[Trim, County Meath|Trim]], [[County Meath]], in 1953. He is one of twelve sons born and educated locally at Scoil Naomh Brid in Boardsmill and St. Michael's [[Congregation of Christian Brothers|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 GAA|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]].

==Early political career==
Dempsey first became involved in politics in the early 1970s when he joined [[Ógra Fianna Fáil]], the youth wing of [[Fianna Fáil]]. He later attended and spoke at the first-ever national conference of Ógra in 1973. Within three years of this Dempsey was co-opted onto [[Meath County Council]] as a Fianna Fáil [[County Council]]lor 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 Irish general election|1987 general election]] as a Fianna Fáil TD for [[Meath (Dáil constituency)|Meath]].<ref name=elecs_irl>{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3725|title=Noel Dempsey|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=15 September 2009|archive-date=20 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520082116/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=3725|url-status=live}}</ref> Shortly after being elected, he became a member of the [[Public Accounts Committee (Ireland)|Public Accounts Committee]], one of the most high-profile committees in the [[Oireachtas]]. 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 Irish general election|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 (politician)|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 (Ireland)|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 (Ireland)|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 [[Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)|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 [[1996 Dublin West by-election|Dublin West by-election]] which was won by [[Brian Lenihan Jnr]]. It was Fianna Fáil's first by-election victory since 1985.

==Cabinet career: 1997–2011==
===Minister for the Environment and Local Government: 1997–2002===
Following the [[1997 Irish general election|1997 general election]] 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 Housing, Local Government and Heritage|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.{{citation needed|date=August 2011}}

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 hold another elected office 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 Irish presidential election|1997]]. Two years later in [[1999 Irish local elections|1999]] he presided over the most successful local election campaign for the party ever.

===Minister for Education and Science: 2002–2004===
Following the re-election of the government in 2002, Dempsey became [[Minister for Education (Ireland)|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 Democrats]].

===Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources: 2004–2007===
In a [[cabinet reshuffle]] in September 2004, Dempsey was appointed as [[Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications|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 [[Natural gas|gas]] 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, Climate Action and Environment|Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources]] and before the [[2007 Irish general election|2007 general election]], 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 [[County 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-operator model and resulted in the [[Broadcasting (Amendment) Act 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 [[Clermont Carn]], in County Louth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2006/Minister+Noel+Dempsey+Announces+Launch+of+Digital+Terrestrial+Television+%28DTT%29+Pilot+in+Ireland.htm|title=Minister Noel Dempsey Announces Launch of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Pilot in Ireland|work=Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources|date=16 August 2006|access-date=15 September 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720000239/http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2006/Minister+Noel+Dempsey+Announces+Launch+of+Digital+Terrestrial+Television+(DTT)+Pilot+in+Ireland.htm|archive-date=20 July 2011}}</ref>

===Minister for Transport: 2007–2011===
Following the [[2007 Irish general election|2007 general election]] Dempsey was appointed as [[Minister for Transport (Ireland)|Minister for Transport]]. Among the 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 the Irish media over his January 2010 holiday in [[Malta]] and perceived lack of contactability when [[Winter of 2009–10 in Europe|severe weather conditions]] led to massive disruption across Ireland's transport systems.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.herald.ie/opinion/michael-odoherty-what-on-earth-did-any-of-us-do-to-deserve-noel-dempsey-2008457.html|title=What on earth did any of us do to deserve Noel Dempsey?|work=The Herald|date=11 January 2010|access-date=11 January 2010|archive-date=23 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123191029/http://www.herald.ie/opinion/michael-odoherty-what-on-earth-did-any-of-us-do-to-deserve-noel-dempsey-2008457.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0110/weather.html|title=Dempsey defends holiday absence|work=[[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]]|date=10 January 2010|access-date=11 January 2010|archive-date=14 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114015543/http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0110/weather.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Retirement from politics===
On 17 December 2010, he announced that he would not be contesting the [[2011 Irish general election|2011 general election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1217/dempseyn.html|title=Noel Dempsey will not contest election|work=[[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]]|date=17 December 2010|access-date=17 December 2010|archive-date=19 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219121229/http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1217/dempseyn.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On 19 January 2011, he announced his resignation as Minister for Transport.<ref name="Four Ministers resign from cabinet">{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0119/harneym.html|title=Four Ministers resign from cabinet|work=[[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]]|date=19 January 2011|access-date=20 January 2011|archive-date=21 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121023930/http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0119/harneym.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Dempsey receives annual pension payments of €119,177.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/thanks-big-fellas-ahern-and-cowen-get-massive-pensions-2931032.html|title=Thanks big fellas: Ahern and Cowen get massive pensions|work=[[Irish Independent]]|access-date=10 November 2011|first=Fiach|last=Kelly|date=10 November 2011|archive-date=14 September 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914031001/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/thanks-big-fellas-ahern-and-cowen-get-massive-pensions-2931032.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2020, he [[Oireachtas Golf Society scandal|attended a golf party in County Galway]] which breached the [[COVID-19]] guidelines.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40035884.html |title=#Golfgate: Invite to Oireachtas event didn't mention pandemic |last=Moore |first=Aoife |date=21 August 2020 |newspaper=[[Irish Examiner]] |access-date=21 August 2020 |archive-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824222250/https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40035884.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Noel Dempsey}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Dermot Ahern]]|rows = 2}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach|Government Chief Whip]]
       |years  = 1992–1994}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Seán Barrett (politician)|Seán Barrett]]|rows = 2}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State at the Department of Defence]]
       |years  = 1992–1994}}
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{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State at the Department of Finance]]
       |years  = 1993–1994}}
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{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister for Environment and Local Government]]
       |years  = 1997–2002}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Martin Cullen]]|as = Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Michael Woods (Irish politician)|Michael Woods]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister for Education (Ireland)|Minister for Education and Science]]
       |years  = 2002–2004}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Mary Hanafin]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Dermot Ahern]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications|Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources]]
       |years  = 2004–2007}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Eamon Ryan]]|as = Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Martin Cullen]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister for Transport (Ireland)|Minister for Transport]]
       |years  = 2007–2011}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Pat Carey]]}}
{{s-end}}
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[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College Dublin]]
[[Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth]]
[[Category:Fianna Fáil TDs]]
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