Lucinda Creighton

Lucinda Creighton (born 20 January 1980) is an Irish businesswoman and former politician, who served as Minister of State for European Affairs from 2011 to 2013.

She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, where she gained a Bachelor of Laws in 2002.

She was a member of the Trinity College branch of Young Fine Gael.

In 2003, she qualified as an attorney-at-law for the state of New York.

She was elected to Dublin City Council in 2004, at the age of 24, representing the Pembroke local electoral area.

She was called to the Irish Bar in 2005.

Creighton was elected to Dáil Éireann at her first attempt, at the 2007 general election, as its youngest member, the first TD born in the 1980s.

She was appointed Fine Gael Spokesperson on European Affairs in 2007, remaining in post until 2010.

During that period she was critical of party leader Enda Kenny.

In July 2010, she criticised what she termed the "cute hoor politics" in Fine Gael.

That October she was appointed as party deputy Spokesperson on Justice, with special responsibility for Immigration, Integration and Equality.

She played a key role in Fine Gael's campaign for a 'yes' vote in both referendums on the Treaty of Lisbon.

In April 2011 Creighton married Paul Bradford, a fellow legislator in Seanad Éireann, who also switched from Fine Gael to Renua.

They have three children; a daughter and two sons.

While at Trinity College, Creighton was elected Deputy Secretary General of the Youth of the European People's Party.

Creighton was re-elected in February 2011, topping the poll in Dublin South-East.

On 10 March 2011, she was appointed by the Fine Gael–Labour government as Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility as Minister of State for European Affairs.

Upon taking office she was openly critical of the response by European leaders to the eurozone crisis, telling an audience in London in May 2011: "European leaders have gone from contributing to the development of the Union to identifying what they can take from it and parade in front of their own electorates. While the European spirit lives on, what is absent is the willingness and courage to argue, communicate and persuade people that it is still a good idea."

During her time as Minister, Creighton visited every EU member, candidate and aspiring country at least once, and represented the government at meetings and conferences such as the Croatia Summit in July 2012, the EU–ASEAN ministerial meeting in Brunei in April 2012 and the EU–ASEM meeting in Budapest in June 2011.

She was also the first Irish government Minister to officially meet a Minister from Myanmar, when she met its Minister of Foreign Affairs in April 2012.

Creighton played a central role during the 2012 referendum on the Stability Treaty, speaking at numerous public meetings and events.

Along with Simon Coveney, she devised Fine Gael's campaign for a 'yes' vote.

Elected while a member of Fine Gael, she lost the party whip when she voted against a 2013 bill introduced by the Fine Gael–Labour government to ease restrictions on abortion.

Following her resignation from Fine Gael in July 2013, she sat as an Independent until the launch of Renua.

Creighton was involved in the co-ordination of the planning and execution of Ireland's 2013 EU Presidency, chairing a government committee responsible for all policy preparations and oversight.

In January 2013, she hosted a meeting of European Affairs Ministers in Dublin which focused on strengthening the democratic legitimacy of European Union states.

Creighton was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party on 11 July 2013, when she defied the party whip by voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, which allowed a termination of pregnancy by doctors in the case of a threat to a woman's life, including a risk of suicide.

She also resigned as a Minister of State.

On 13 September 2013, she and six other expellees formed the Reform Alliance, described as a "loose alliance" rather than a political party.

The expulsion was criticised as indicative of the suppressing of independent voices by the party whip system and, as such, the need for having an independent Seanad.

Creighton joined the Dáil Technical Group in September 2014.

She was leader of Renua from its March 2015 foundation until May 2016, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) representing Dublin South-East from 2007 to 2016.

On 2 January 2015, Creighton announced that she would found a new political party that spring.

The party was to be founded under four principles, including, she claimed, "building an economy for entrepreneurs" and "giving politics back to the people."

Creighton said: "We want to reboot Ireland and we want those who are as passionate about this country as we are to join us on this mission".

She hoped her new party would raise €1 million in small donations before the next general election.

Renua was launched on 13 March 2015, with Creighton as its leader.

She lost her seat at the 2016 general election and resigned as Renua leader two months later.

Creighton grew up in Claremorris, County Mayo, where her father was a bookmaker and her mother a teacher.

The party contested the February 2016 general election, but lost all three of its seats.