Alan Dukes

Alan Martin Dukes (born 1945) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communication from 1996 to 1997, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Fine Gael from 1987 to 1990, Minister for Justice from 1986 to 1987, Minister for Finance from 1982 to 1986 and Minister for Agriculture from 1981 to 1982.

Dukes was born in Drimnagh, Dublin in 1945.

His father, James F. Dukes, was originally from Tralee, County Kerry, and was a senior civil servant, the founding chairman and chief executive of the Higher Education Authority, while his mother was from near Ballina, County Mayo.

The Dukes family originally came from the north of England.

His grandfather had served with the Royal Engineers in World War I, and settled in Cork and then Kerry afterwards where he worked with the Post Office creating Ireland's telephone network.

He also developed a keen interest in the Irish language.

He was educated by the Christian Brothers at Coláiste Mhuire, Dublin, and was offered a number of scholarships for third level on graduation, including one for the Irish language.

His interest in the Irish language continues to this day, and he regularly appears on Irish language television programmes.

On leaving school he attended University College Dublin, where he captained the fencing team to its first ever Intervarsity title.

He became an economist with the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) in Dublin in 1969.

After Ireland joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973, he moved to Brussels where he was part of the IFA delegation.

In this role he was influential in framing Ireland's contribution to the Common Agricultural Policy.

He moved on from this IFA position to become chief of staff to Ireland's EEC commissioner Dick Burke, a former Fine Gael politician.

In the 1979 European Parliament elections, Dukes stood as a Fine Gael candidate in the Munster constituency.

He had strong support among the farming community, but the entry of farming leader T. J. Maher as an independent candidate hurt his chances of election.

Maher subsequently topped the poll.

He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1981 to 2002.

He held several major government positions, and is one of the few TDs to be appointed a Minister on their first day in the Dáil.

He stood again for Fine Gael at the 1981 general election in the expanded Kildare constituency, where he won a seat in the 22nd Dáil.

On his first day in the Dáil, he was appointed Minister for Agriculture by the Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald, becoming one of only eight TDs so appointed.

He was to represent Kildare for 21 years.

This minority Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition government collapsed in February 1982 over controversial budget reforms, but returned to power with a working majority in December 1982.

Dukes was again called into the cabinet becoming Minister for Finance less than two years into his Dáil career.

He faced a difficult task as Finance Minister at this time.

Ireland was heavily in debt while unemployment and emigration were high.

Many of Fine Gael's ambitious plans had to be deferred while the Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition disagreed on how to solve the economic crisis.

The challenge of addressing the national finances was made difficult by electoral arithmetic and a lack of support from the opposition Fianna Fáil party led by Charles Haughey.

Dukes remained in the Department of Finance until a reshuffle in February 1986 when he was appointed the Minister for Justice.

Fine Gael failed to be returned to government at the 1987 general election and lost 19 of its 70 seats, mostly to the new Progressive Democrats party.

Outgoing Taoiseach and leader Garret FitzGerald stepped down and Dukes was elected leader of Fine Gael.

He also became Leader of the Opposition.

This was a difficult time for the country.

Haughey's Fianna Fáil had fought the election on promises to increase spending and government services, and by attacking the cutbacks favoured by Fine Gael.

The campaign produced the famous Fianna Fáil slogan that cuts in health spending affect the "old, the sick and the handicapped".

However, on taking office, the new Taoiseach and his Finance Minister Ray MacSharry immediately drew up a drastic set of cutbacks including a spate of ward and hospital closures.

This presented a political opportunity for the opposition to attack the government.

However, while addressing a meeting of the Tallaght Chamber of Commerce, Dukes announced that:

When the Government is moving in the right direction, I will not oppose the central thrust of its policy.

He lost his seat in the 2002 general election.

He was subsequently appointed Director General of the Institute of International and European Affairs, and chairman of Anglo Irish Bank.