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Joan Burton (born 1 February 1949) is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Tánaiste and Leader of the Labour Party from 2014 to 2016, Minister for Social Protection from 2011 to 2016, Deputy leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2014, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1997 and Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare from 1993 to 1994. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin West constituency from 1992 to 1997 and 2002 to 2020.
Burton was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1992 general election. From 1995 to 1997, she was Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs. She lost her seat at the 1997 general election but was re-elected to the Dáil at the 2002 general election. She was deputy leader of the Labour Party under Eamon Gilmore, between 2007 and 2014. She was Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) from 2014 to 2016 and Minister for Social Protection from 2011 to 2016. She resigned as Labour Party leader in May 2016, following heavy losses by the party in the 2016 general election. Burton lost her seat in the 2020 general election on the 5th count.
Burton was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1992 general election as a Labour Party TD for the Dublin West constituency in the 27th Dáil. She was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare in the Fianna Fáil–Labour Party coalition that was formed after that election, with responsibility for Poverty. With the breakdown of that coalition and the establishment of a Rainbow Coalition of Fine Gael-Labour-Democratic Left in early 1995, she became Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, a position she held until the coalition's defeat at the 1997 general election.
On 11 July 2014, Burton announced the Labour Party cabinet ministers, with party deputy leader Alan Kelly appointed as Minister for the Environment, Alex White as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Jan O'Sullivan as Minister for Education and Skills and Ged Nash as Minister of State for Business and Employment and Brendan Howlin remaining as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Burton also remained in her ministry at the Department of Social Protection. During her term as leader and Tánaiste, her contribution was key to preventing the sell-off of State assets, protecting core welfare payments and increasing the minimum wage twice.McNamara,Maedhbh. A woman's place is in the Cabinet: women ministers in Irish governments 1919-2019. Drogheda, Sea Dog Books,2020.ISBN 978-1-913275-06-8
Despite a Millward Browne poll that predicted she would lose her constituency seat a month before the 2016 general election, Burton polled better than expected and retained her Dublin West seat.
At the Women in Media conference that took place in April 2016, following elections and during negotiations to form a governing coalition, Burton discussed how women were excluded from the government negotiation process. She criticized what she called the misogyny and abuse female politicians faced during the election, as well as the "vulgar, crude, and demeaning" Late Late Show broadcast during the election that offered Sigmund Freud interpretations of politicians' body language. Burton: ‘disproportionate maleness’ in govt talks‘disproportionate maleness’ in govt talks The Irish Times, 16 April 2016
The Labour Party returned to opposition following the 2016 general election, in greatly reduced numbers. Burton remained as Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in an acting capacity during prolonged talks on government formation. On 6 May 2016, Enda Kenny announced in the Dáil that Frances Fitzgerald would be the new Tánaiste, while Burton's constituency colleague Leo Varadkar took her old job in the Department of Social Protection.
On 10 May 2016, she announced her resignation as Labour Party leader, which took effect on 20 May 2016, when her replacement Brendan Howlin was chosen unopposed.
She lost her seat at the 2020 Irish general election, with her first preference vote declining from 15.4% to 4.8%.
Loss of seat and re-election: 1997–2007
She lost her seat at the 1997 general election, to Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party. Burton was re-elected to Fingal County Council in the 1999 local elections, on this occasion winning a seat in the Castleknock local electoral area. She was re-elected to the Dáil for Dublin West at the 2002 general election. She was then appointed Labour Party Spokesperson for Finance. She was a candidate for the deputy leadership of the party in 2002, obtaining 24% of the first preference vote, but was unsuccessful. From 1997 to 2002 she had returned to lecturing.
Labour Deputy leadership: 2007–2014
Burton became deputy leader of the Labour Party in September 2007. She was re-elected to represent Dublin West at the 2011 general election, topping the poll on the 1st count with 9,627 votes, and was the first TD in the country to be elected to the 31st Dáil.
Labour Leadership: 2014–2016
Labour polled badly at the 2014 local and European elections; this led to the resignation of Eamon Gilmore as leader. Burton announced her candidacy for the leadership to replace him. On 4 July 2014, she won the leadership election, defeating Alex White by 78% to 22%. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, appointed her as Tánaiste on the same day. Upon her election she said that the Labour Party "would focus on social repair, and govern more with the heart". She became the first woman to lead the Labour Party.
External links
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Official joanburton.ie website (archived 2021)
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Joan Burton's page on the Labour Party website (archived 2020)
Categories: 1949 Births, Living People, Alumni Of University College Dublin, Members Of Dublin County Council, Women Government Ministers Of The Republic Of Ireland, Labour Party Tds, Leaders Of The Labour Party, Members Of Fingal County Council, Members Of The 27th Dáil, Members Of The 29th Dáil, Members Of The 30th Dáil, Members Of The 31st Dáil, Members Of The 32nd Dáil, Ministers For Social Affairs Of Ireland, Ministers Of State Of The 27th Dáil, Politicians From Fingal, TánaistÃ, Women Ministers Of State Of The Republic Of Ireland, 20th-century Women Teachtaà Dála, 21st-century Women Teachtaà Dála
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