Colm Burke | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Burke in 2024 | |
| Minister of State | |
| 2024–2025 | Health |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2020 | |
| Constituency | Cork North-Central |
| Senator | |
| In office 25 May 2011 – 8 February 2020 | |
| Constituency | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 19 June 2007 – 24 June 2009 | |
| Constituency | South |
| Lord Mayor of Cork | |
| In office 6 June 2003 – 4 June 2004 | |
| Preceded by | John Kelleher |
| Succeeded by | Seán Martin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1957-01-17)17 January 1957 (age 68) Cork, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
Colm Burke (born 17 January 1957) is an IrishFine Gael politician who has been aTeachta Dála (TD) for theCork North-Central since the2020 general election. He served asMinister of State at the Department of Health from 2024 to 2025, aSenator for theIndustrial and Commercial Panel from 2011 to 2020,Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for theSouth constituency from 2007 to 2009 andLord Mayor of Cork from 2003 to 2004.[1]
He was a member of theEuropean Parliament for theSouth constituency inIreland between 2007 and 2009.[2] He was appointed in June 2007, following the re-election of the outgoingMEPSimon Coveney toDáil Éireann. Following the abolition of thedual mandate, Coveney opted to remain in national politics and resigned from the European Parliament. Burke subsequently sat as a Fine Gael andEuropean People's Party MEP. He served on various European Parliament committees including Committee on Foreign Affairs, Internal Market & Consumer Protection (Substitute), Committee on Fisheries (Substitute Member) and Subcommittee on Human Rights (Substitute Member). Burke lost his seat at the2009 European Parliament election, with Fine Gael party colleagueSeán Kelly taking a seat instead.[3]
Burke was a member ofCork City Council from 1999 to 2007 and served asLord Mayor of Cork from 2003 to 2004.[4] He was elected toSeanad Éireann in April 2011 and re-elected in 2016. He was the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Health.
He was an unsuccessful candidate at the2019 Cork North-Central by-election.[5][6] He was elected for theCork North-Central constituency at the2020 general election.[7] During the campaign, the windows of hisconstituency office were smashed and posters were taken.[8]
On 10 April 2024, Burke was appointed asMinister of State at the Department of Health following the appointment ofSimon Harris as Taoiseach.[9]
In July 2024, Burke, who had voted to repeal theEighth Amendment in2018, reported that he had been deniedHoly Communion and informed that he wasexcommunicated during a funeral mass for a fellow Fine Gael member. The priest responsible for the incident would later confirm that his actions were in response to Burke's "support for abortion". TheAssociation of Catholic Priests "unambiguously" condemned the incident and said that it was "not the role of the priest to judge the conscience of another person. The priest does not own the Eucharist".[10][11]
At the2024 general election, Burke was re-elected to the Dáil.
| Civic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Kelleher | Lord Mayor of Cork 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of State at the Department of Health 2024–2025 | Succeeded by |