Richard Bruton was born on 15 March 1953 and is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Teachta Dala for Dublin Bay North since 2016, and previously from 1982 to 2016 for the Dublin North-Central constituency.
29 Facts About Richard Bruton
2.
Richard Bruton is the Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party since July 2020.
3.
Richard Bruton previously served as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment from 2018 to 2020, Minister for Education and Skills from 2016 to 2018, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation from 2011 to 2016, Deputy leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2010, Minister for Enterprise and Employment from 1994 to 1997 and Minister of State for Energy Affairs from 1986 to 1987.
4.
Richard Bruton was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1981 to 1982.
5.
Richard Bruton is a son of Joseph and Doris Bruton.
6.
Richard Bruton was educated at Belvedere College, Clongowes Wood College, University College Dublin and Nuffield College, Oxford.
7.
Richard Bruton is the younger brother of John Bruton, a former Taoiseach and Ambassador of the European Union to the United States.
8.
Richard Bruton is married to Susan Meehan; they have four children, two sons and two daughters.
9.
Richard Bruton was elected to Meath County Council in 1979 and was elected to Seanad Eireann in 1981, as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel.
10.
In opposition after 1987, Richard Bruton served in a number of front bench positions including, Energy, Natural Resources, Health, Enterprise and Employment and Director of Policy.
11.
Richard Bruton was the campaign manager for his brother John Bruton's successful party leadership bid in 1990.
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Richard Bruton then helped to negotiate the Rainbow Coalition between Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left.
13.
Richard Bruton was given the highest-ranking Fine Gael ministerial position, serving as Minister for Enterprise and Employment.
14.
Richard Bruton was elected to Dublin City Council in 1999, representing the Artane local electoral area.
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Richard Bruton relinquished this seat when dual mandates were banned in 2003.
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Fine Gael had a disastrous election result at the 2002 general election; Richard Bruton was one of the few frontbench Fine Gael TDs to retain his seat.
17.
Richard Bruton stood as a candidate in the subsequent leadership election.
18.
Richard Bruton was defeated by Enda Kenny, but he was appointed Deputy leader of Fine Gael and Spokesperson for Finance, posts he maintained until 2010.
19.
On 14 June 2010, Richard Bruton was sacked as Deputy leader and Spokesperson on Finance, by his leader Enda Kenny, after he informed his colleagues that he would be proposing a leadership challenge against Kenny.
20.
Kenny explained that he and Richard Bruton had had a series of discussions in which Richard Bruton said he had lost confidence in him.
21.
Richard Bruton said that "some unnamed people have done huge damage to Fine Gael through their anonymous comments to the media which has resulted in an opinion poll dominating the news agenda".
22.
Richard Bruton then assigned responsibility for the Finance portfolio to Deputy Kieran O'Donnell.
23.
Richard Bruton then declined to comment as to whether he would serve in Kenny's front bench, despite saying earlier that it would be hypocritical to do so.
24.
Richard Bruton was appointed by the new Taoiseach Enda Kenny as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 9 March 2011.
25.
Richard Bruton launched the first annual Action Plan for Jobs in 2012.
26.
Richard Bruton announced in May 2015, that the target to create 100,000 additional new jobs had been hit almost two years early.
27.
Richard Bruton launched the first Action Plan for Education in September 2016.
28.
Richard Bruton was re-elected at the general election in February 2020, but was not appointed to cabinet in the Government of the 33rd Dail.
29.
On 22 July 2020, Richard Bruton was elected Chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.