Noel Treacy

Noel Treacy
Minister of State for European Affairs
In office 29 September 2004 – 20 June 2007
Preceded by	Dick Roche
Succeeded by	Dick Roche
Minister of State for Food and Horticulture
In office 19 June 2002 – 29 September 2004
Preceded by	Éamon Ó Cuív
Succeeded by	Brendan Smith
Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
In office 1997–2002
Preceded by	Michael Smith
Succeeded by	Michael Ahern
Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications
In office 1993–1994
Preceded by	Liam Aylward
Succeeded by	Emmet Stagg
Minister of State at the Department of Finance
In office 13 February 1992 – 12 January 1993
Preceded by	John O'Donoghue
Succeeded by	Noel Dempsey
In office 12 March 1987 – 12 July 1989
Preceded by	Avril Doyle
Succeeded by	Brendan Daly
Minister of State for Children
In office 1989–1991
Preceded by	Terry Leyden
Succeeded by	Chris Flood
Minister of State for Heritage Affairs
In office 1987–1989
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Teachta Dála
In office July 1982 – February 2011
Constituency	Galway East
Personal details
Born	(1951-12-18) 18 December 1951 Ballinasloe, County Galway
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse(s)	Mary Cloonan
Children	4

Noel Treacy (born 18 December 1951) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway East constituency from 1982 to 2011.

Treacy was born in Ballinasloe, County Galway in 1951. He was educated at Gurteen National School and St. Joseph's College, Garbally Park in Ballinasloe. He worked as an auctioneer and financial services manager before entering public life. He is married to Mary Cloonan and has three daughters and one son.

Treacy was first elected to Dáil Éireann at a by-election in July 1982 caused by the death of Fianna Fáil TD Johnny Callanan and was re-elected at each election until his retirement in 2011. His election marked the last time a government party was successful in winning a by-election until the election of Patrick Nulty of the Labour Party in the Dublin West by-election in 2011. He was a member of Galway County Council from 1985–91.

Over his many years in the Dáil, Treacy has held a number of junior ministerial portfolios. In 1987 Treacy joined the junior ministerial team as Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and the Central Development Committee. The following year he became Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach. It was in this capacity that Treacy became the State's first Minister for Heritage Affairs.

Between 1989 and 1991 he served as Minister of State for Children at the Department of Health, before being appointed Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for Law Reform. In 1992 Treacy returned to the Department of Finance again before serving at the Departments of the Taoiseach, Finance, Transport, Energy and Communications during the Fianna Fáil–Labour Party government holding special responsibility for Energy.

Some months after Fianna Fáil's return to power in 1997 Treacy became Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce at the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Education and Science replacing Michael Smith who had been promoted to cabinet following the resignation of Ray Burke. Following re-election in 2002 he became Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, with responsibility for Food and Horticulture.

He contested the 1999 European Parliament election in Connacht–Ulster unsuccessfully.

Following Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's cabinet reshuffle in September 2004, Treacy was appointed Minister of State at the Departments of Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach, with special responsibility for European Affairs.

Treacy was returned to Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election. This was his eighth successive time to be elected. However, the manner in which this was achieved is somewhat unique in Irish politics for it was Treacy's seventh time to be elected at a general election without reaching the necessary quota of votes.

However, following 17 years as a Minister of State in various administrations, Treacy was not reappointed to a junior ministerial post by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. He was subsequently appointed Chairman of Joint Oireachtas Committee on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

He retired from politics at the 2011 general election.

References

Oireachtas
Preceded by Johnny Callanan (Fianna Fáil)	Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Galway East 1982–2011	Succeeded by Colm Keaveney (Labour Party)
Political offices
Preceded by Avril Doyle	Minister of State at the Department of Finance 1987–1989	Succeeded by Brendan Daly
Preceded by New office	Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach (with special responsibility for Heritage Affairs) 1988–1989	Succeeded by Office abolished
Preceded by Terry Leyden	Minister of State at the Department of Health 1989–1991	Succeeded by Chris Flood
Preceded by John O'Donoghue	Minister of State at the Department of Finance 1992–1993	Succeeded by Noel Dempsey
Preceded by Liam Aylward	Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications 1993–1994	Succeeded by Emmet Stagg
Preceded by Michael Smith	Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment 1997–2002	Succeeded by Michael Ahern
Preceded by Éamon Ó Cuív	Minister of State for Food and Horticulture 2002–2004	Succeeded by Brendan Smith
Preceded by Dick Roche	Minister of State for European Affairs 2004–2007	Succeeded by Dick Roche