1. Ray MacSharry was born on 29 April 1938 and is an Irish former Fianna Fail politician who served as Tanaiste from March 1982 to December 1982, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development from 1989 to 1993, Minister for Finance from March 1982 to December 1982 and 1987 to 1988, Minister for Agriculture from 1979 to 1981, Minister of State at the Department of the Public Service from 1978 to 1979.
Ray MacSharry came from a non-political family; however, he became an active member of Fianna Fail in Sligo.
In Jack Lynch's subsequent front bench reshuffle, Ray MacSharry was appointed Opposition Spokesperson on the Office of Public Works.
Agriculture was viewed as a key portfolio in Haughey's new cabinet and Ray MacSharry was regarded as an effective Minister at a time when farm prices were falling.
Ray MacSharry was successful in agricultural negotiations with the EEC.
Fianna Fail returned to government following the February 1982 general election and Ray MacSharry was appointed as Tanaiste and Minister for Finance.
At a time when Ireland was going through a recession, Ray MacSharry introduced a budget which increased income tax at all levels.
In 1983, Ray MacSharry resigned from the Fianna Fail front bench due to the phone tapping scandal, when it was revealed that as Tanaiste and Minister for Finance, he had borrowed police tape recorders to secretly record conversations with a cabinet colleague.
Ray MacSharry defended his action by saying that rumours were sweeping the party that he could be "bought" to support efforts to depose Haughey; he claimed he used the equipment to record any attempts made to offer bribes.
Ray MacSharry was a secondary but high-profile casualty of the scandal, as the equipment he had used had been supplied by Doherty, who had requested it from Assistant Garda Commissioner Joseph Ainsworth.
Ray MacSharry spent several years in the political wilderness following the phone-tapping scandal.
Ray MacSharry resigned his European Parliament seat when he was appointed again as Minister for Finance in Haughey's new government.
Ray MacSharry's ruthless cutting of state spending earned him the nickname "Mack the Knife".
Ray MacSharry had no such aspirations and had wanted to leave politics by the time he was forty-five.
Ray MacSharry was now fifty and had achieved some of the highest offices in the government of Ireland.
Ray MacSharry was the first European Commissioner for Agriculture to work out a meaningful compromise on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy in 1992.
The Ray MacSharry reforms marked the turning point between the old CAP policy, and the new, although many other reforms followed his.
Ray MacSharry is currently a director on the boards of a variety of companies including Bank of Ireland and Ryanair Holdings.
Ray MacSharry is a member of the Comite d'Honneur of the Institute of European Affairs.
Ray MacSharry was married to Elaine and the couple had six children.