Norma Foley

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Norma Foley

TD
Norma Foley.jpeg
Minister for Education
Incumbent
Assumed office
27 June 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded byJoe McHugh
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 2020
ConstituencyKerry
Personal details
Born1970 (age 50–51)
Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
Spouse(s)Denis Maguire (m. 2005)
RelationsDenis Foley (Father)
Alma materUniversity College Cork

Norma Foley (born 1970[1]) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Education since June 2020. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Kerry since 2020.[2]

Local politics[]

Foley was previously a member of Kerry County Council for the Tralee local electoral area, serving from 1994 until her election to the Dáil in 2020. She also served as a member of Tralee Urban District Council until its abolition in 2014.

Parliamentary career[]

After failing in her bid to secure a nomination as a general election candidate in Kerry North in 2002, Foley was added to the Fianna Fáil ticket as Tom McEllistrim's running mate in the same constituency in 2007.[3] She polled 4,937 first preference votes and finished fifth overall in the three-set constituency after being eliminated on the third count.

Foley again failed in her bid to secure a nomination as a general election candidate in 2016, but was a late addition to the ticket as a third Fianna Fáil candidate in the Kerry constituency in advance of the 2020 general election.[4][5] She polled 6,856 first preference votes and secured the fifth and final seat at the expense of the her party colleague John Brassil on the eighth count.[6][7][8] Johnnie Wall was co-opted to Foley's seat on Kerry County Council following her election to the Dáil. On her first day in the Dáil, Foley proposed her party leader Micheál Martin in his successful bid to become Taoiseach.

Minister for Education[]

Foley was appointed Minister for Education in June 2020 following the formation of a new coalition government.[9]

Personal life[]

Prior to becoming a TD, she was a teacher at Presentation Secondary School, Tralee. She is married to fellow teacher Denis Maguire. Her parents are Denis and Hannah Foley. Her father Denis Foley was a Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry North from 1981 to 1989 and 1992 to 2002.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ "Norma Foley (b. 1970) - Irish Life and Lore". irishlifeandlore.com. February 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Norma Foley". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  3. ^ Lucey, Anne (25 June 2001). "Foley fails to win Kerry North nomination". Irish Times. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  4. ^ O'Sullivan, Majella (8 January 2015). "FF's Norma Foley follows her dad with Dail bid". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  5. ^ Lucey, Anne (17 December 2019). "Norma Foley added to Fianna Fáil ticket in Kerry". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  6. ^ Crean, Dermot (10 February 2020). "It's all over in Kerry as Norma Foley takes fifth and final seat". Tralee Today. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  7. ^ Michael, Neil (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Kerry results: Danny Healy-Rae retains seat on sixth count". Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Election 2020: Kerry". Irish Times. Dublin. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Norma Foley becomes Minister for Education and Helen McEntee Minister for Justice". Tralee Today. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.

External links[]

Oireachtas
Preceded by
John Brassil
(Fianna Fáil) 		Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Kerry
2020–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Joe McHugh 		Minister for Education
2020–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""