Dick Roche
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| Dick Roche, TD | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 14 June 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Noel Treacy |
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| Constituency | Wicklow |
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| In office 29 September 2004 – 14 June 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Martin Cullen |
| Succeeded by | John Gormley |
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| Born | 30 March , 1947 Wexford |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
Dick Roche (Irish: Risteard de Róiste; born March 30, 1947) is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He is currently a TD for Wicklow. Roche has also served in Seanad Éireann (1993–1997). He is married with four grown-up children. Roche's grandfather, Jem Roche, was a one-time heavyweight boxing champion of Ireland who also fought unsuccessfully for the world title.
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[edit] Early and Private Life
Dick Roche was born in Wexford and was educated at Wexford Christian Brothers School and University College Dublin (UCD) where he received B.Comm. Degree and a Masters Degree in Public Administration.
Dick is married to Eleanor Griffin. Dick and Eleanor have four children, three sons and one daughter.[1] They live in Co. Wicklow.
[edit] Political Career
Roche worked as a public servant at the Departments of Posts & Telegraphs, Transport & Power, Finance and at the Department of Economic Planning & Development. In 1978 he was appointed lecturer in Public Administration and Public Finance at UCD. In 1978 Roche became the first Irish Citizen to be awarded a United Nations Human Rights fellowship.He subsequently became a member of the Irish Commission for Justice and Peace and served as a time as Chairman of the Commission.
Roche began his political career in 1985 when he was elected to Wicklow County Council. Two years later, at the 1987 election he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for the constituency of Wicklow.
Roche lost his seat in the 1992 general election but was elected to Seanad Éireann instead. In the Irish Senate Roche introduced a Freedom of Information Bill based closely on the Norewegian Freedom of Information legislation. He was returned to the 28th Dáil in the 1997 general election and has remained a TD ever since. Following the 2002 general election Roche was appointed Minister of State at the Departments of An Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for European Affairs. In his role, effectively as Minister for Europe, he played a large role during Ireland's Presidency of the European Council in 2004. In 2004 he became Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government. He retained his seat in the 2007 general election but, on the formation of the new government, was the only member of the previous Cabinet to be demoted, being re-appointed to his Minister for Europe role.
His last act as Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government was the signing of an order that was to lead to work being resumed on the controversial M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara.[1]
[edit] References
- This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database
[edit] External links
| Oireachtas | ||
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| Preceded by Godfrey Timmins (Fine Gael) |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Wicklow 1987–1992 |
Succeeded by Constituency redrawn |
| Preceded by Liam Kavanagh (Labour) |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Wicklow 1997 – present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Newly created office |
Minister of State for European Affairs 2002–2004 |
Succeeded by Noel Treacy |
| Preceded by Martin Cullen |
Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government 2004–2007 |
Succeeded by John Gormley |
| Preceded by Noel Treacy |
Minister of State for European Affairs 2007 – present |
Incumbent |
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