Frank Cluskey | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cluskey in 1981 | |
| Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism | |
| In office 14 December 1982 – 8 December 1983 | |
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Pádraig Flynn |
| Succeeded by | Garret FitzGerald |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 1 July 1977 – 12 June 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Brendan Corish |
| Succeeded by | Michael O'Leary |
| Parliamentary Secretary | |
| 1973–1977 | Social Welfare |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 1982 – 7 May 1989 | |
| In office June 1977 – June 1981 | |
| Constituency | Dublin South-Central |
| In office June 1969 – June 1977 | |
| Constituency | Dublin Central |
| In office April 1965 – June 1969 | |
| Constituency | Dublin South-Central |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1 July 1981 – 24 November 1982 | |
| Constituency | Dublin |
| Lord Mayor of Dublin | |
| In office 1968–1969 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Stafford |
| Succeeded by | James O'Keeffe(1974) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francis Cluskey (1930-04-08)8 April 1930 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 7 May 1989(1989-05-07) (aged 59) Dublin, Ireland |
| Party | Labour Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | May Cluskey (sister) |
| Education | St. Vincent's C.B.S. |
Frank Cluskey (8 April 1930 – 7 May 1989) was an IrishLabour Party politician who served asMinister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism from 1982 to 1983,Leader of the Labour Party from 1977 to 1981 andParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare from 1973 to 1977. He served as aTeachta Dála (TD) for theDublin South-Central andDublin Central constituencies from 1965 to 1981 and 1982 to 1989.[1]
Cluskey was born on 8 April 1930 inDublin, the youngest of two sons and three daughters of Francis Cluskey a butcher and active trade unionist, and Elizabeth Cluskey (née Millington). His father was long-serving secretary of the butchers' section of theWorkers' Union of Ireland (WUI)), and a close associate ofJames Larkin.[2] He was educated atSt. Vincent's C.B.S. inGlasnevin. He worked as a butcher and then joined the Labour Party. He quickly became a branch secretary in the WUI.[2] He married Eileen Gillespie in 1965, a post office civil servant from Clontarf; she died after a short illness in 1978. They had two daughters and one son.[2]
At the1965 general election he was elected as a Labour PartyTeachta Dála (TD) for theDublin South-Central constituency. He was a member ofDublin City Council from 1960 to 1969, and in 1968 he was electedLord Mayor of Dublin.[3][2] In 1973 he was appointedParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare,Brendan Corish. He introduced sweeping reforms to the area while he held that position, pushing through legislation introducing a 'single-mothers' welfare allowance and managing with his colleagues to triple welfare spending between 1973 and 1977.[4][2] He played a leading role in initiating theEU Poverty Programmes.
TheFine Gael–Labour Party coalition was defeated at the1977 general election resulting in the resignation ofBrendan Corish as Labour Party leader. Cluskey was elected the new leader of the Labour Party. In 1981, the Labour Party entered into a coalition government with Fine Gael. However Cluskey had lost his seat at the1981 general election and resigned the party leadership. On 1 July 1981, he was appointed as aMember of the European Parliament (MEP) forDublin, replacingMichael O'Leary, who had resigned the seat after succeeding Cluskey as Labour leader.
The coalition government fell in January 1982 over a budget dispute, and Cluskey was re-elected to the Dáil at theFebruary 1982 general election.[5] When the coalition returned to office after theNovember 1982 election, Cluskey was appointed asMinister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism. He then resigned from theEuropean Parliament, to be replaced byBrendan Halligan.
On 8 December 1983 he resigned as minister due to a fundamental disagreement over government policy about theDublin Gas Company.[6] He retained hisDáil seat in the1987 general election.
Following his re-election his health deteriorated. He died on 7 May 1989 after a long battle withcancer.[2]
| Civic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lord Mayor of Dublin 1968–1969 | Vacant Position suspended Title next held by James O'Keeffe(1974) |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare 1973–1977 | Office abolished |
| Preceded by | Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism 1982–1983 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the Labour Party 1977–1981 | Succeeded by |
| History |
| _banner.png) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership |
| ||||||||
| Leadership elections | |||||||||
| Party structures | |||||||||
| Presidential candidates | |||||||||
| Elected representatives |
| ||||||||
| International affiliations |
| ||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
