Mary Coughlan (politician)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Hiberno-English {{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | bodyclass = vcard | bodystyle = {{#if:|width: {{{mainwidth}}}}} | child = {{{embed}}}

| abovestyle = font-size: 100%;

| above = {{#if:|

{{{honorific-prefix}}}

}}

{{#if:|{{{name}}}|Template:PAGENAMEBASE}}

{{#if:|

{{{honorific-suffix}}}

}}

| subheaderstyle = font-size:125%; font-weight:bold;

| subheader = {{#ifeq:{{{embed}}}|yes||{{#if:|{{#if:|

}}{{{native_name}}}{{#if:|

}}}}}}

| image = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=Mary Coughlan.jpg|size=|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | image2 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=|size=|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | image3 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image=|upright=1|alt=|suppressplaceholder=yes}} | captionstyle = line-height:normal;padding-top:0.2em; | caption{{#if:|3|{{#if:|2}}}} =

| headerstyle = color: #202122; {{#ifeq:{{{embed}}}|yes|background:#eee|background:lavender}}

| data1 = {{#if:| {{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}}}Template:Infobox officeholder/office{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| {{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}{{#if:|| Template:Infobox officeholder/office}}

| data2 = | header3 = {{#if:Template:Birth date and ageDonegal, IrelandFianna FáilTemplate:Marriage2Cathal CoughlanClement Coughlan (uncle)Ursuline College SligoUniversity College Dublin|Personal details}} | label4 = Pronunciation | data4 =

| label5 = Born | data5 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br

  |1={{#if:|}}
  |2={{#invoke:person date|birth}}

|3={{#if:Donegal, Ireland|

Donegal, Ireland

}}

}}

| label6 = Died | data6 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br

 |1={{#invoke:person date|death}}

|2={{#if:|

}}

}}

| label7 = {{#ifexpr: Template:Strfind short

   | Manner |{{#if:|Manner|Cause}} }} of death

| data7 = {{#if:||}}

| label8 = Resting place | class8 = label | data8 = {{#invoke:Separated entries|br||}}

| label9 = Citizenship | data9 =

| label10 = Nationality | data10 = {{#if:|{{#if:{{#invoke:find country|main|string=Donegal, Ireland}}|{{#switch:{{#invoke:delink|delink|{{{nationality}}}}}| {{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Country2nationality||{{#invoke:find country|main|string={{#invoke:delink|delink|Donegal, Ireland}}}}|nocat=true}}|{{#invoke:delink|delink|{{{nationality}}}}}|{{#invoke:delink|delink|{{{nationality}}}}}}} = | {{#ifeq:{{#invoke:find country|main|string=Donegal, Ireland}}|England|British}} = | #default = {{{nationality}}}}}|{{{nationality}}}}}|}} | label11 = Political party | data11 = {{#switch:Fianna Fáil | = | Democrat | Democratic | Democrat = Democratic | Republican | United States Republican Party | Republican | Republican Party = Republican | Conservative Party | Conservative = Conservative | Labour Party | Labour = Labour | Conservative Party | Conservative = Conservative | Liberal Party | Liberal = Liberal | KMT | Kuomintang | KMT | KMT | Kuomintang | Kuomintang (KMT) | Kuomintang (KMT) = Kuomintang | DPP | DPP | Democratic Progressive Party = Democratic Progressive Party | #default = Fianna Fáil }}

| label12 = Other political
affiliations | data12 =

| label13 = Height | data13 = {{#if:|Template:Infobox person/height}}

| label14 = Spouse{{#if:|s|{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize|Template:Marriage|likely=(s)|plural=s}}}} | data14 = Template:Marriage

| label15 = Domestic partner{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | data15 =

| label16 = Relations | data16 =

| label17 = Children | data17 = 2

| label18 = Parent{{#if:|{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}}|{{#ifexpr:Template:Count > 1|s}}}} | data18 = {{#if:|{{{parents}}}|{{#invoke:list|unbulleted|{{#if:Cathal Coughlan|Cathal Coughlan (father)}}|{{#if:|{{{mother}}} (mother)}}}}}}

| label19 = Relatives | data19 = Clement Coughlan (uncle)

| label20 = Residence{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | class20 = {{#if:||label}} | data20 =

| label21 = Education | data21 = Ursuline College Sligo

| label22 = Alma mater | data22 = University College Dublin

| label23 = Occupation | data23 =

| label24 = Profession | data24 =

| label25 = Known for | data25 =

| label26 = Salary | data26 =

| label27 = Cabinet | data27 =

| label28 = Committees | data28 =

| label29 = Portfolio | data29 =

| label30 = {{#if:|Civilian awards|Awards}} | data30 =

| label31 = {{{blank1}}} | data31 =

| label32 = {{{blank2}}} | data32 =

| label33 = {{{blank3}}} | data33 =

| label34 = {{{blank4}}} | data34 =

| label35 = {{{blank5}}} | data35 =

| label36 = Signature | data36 = {{#if:|[[File:{{{signature}}}|{{#if:|{{{signature_size}}}|128x80px}}|class=skin-invert notpageimage|alt=|Mary Coughlan (politician)'s signature]]}}

| label37 = Website | data37 =

| label38 = Nickname{{#invoke:Detect singular|pluralize||likely=(s)|plural=s}} | data38 =

| header39 = {{#if:|Military service}}

| label40 = Allegiance | data40 =

| label41 = {{#if:||Branch/service}} | data41 =

| label42 = {{#if:||Years of service}} | data42 =

| label43 = {{#if:||Rank}} | data43 =

| label44 = {{#if:||Unit}} | data44 =

| label45 = Commands | data45 =

| label46 = {{#if:||Battles/wars}} | data46 =

| label47 = {{#if:|Military awards|Awards}} | data47 =

| label48 = {{{military_blank1}}} | data48 =

| label49 = {{{military_blank2}}} | data49 =

| label50 = {{{military_blank3}}} | data50 =

| label51 = {{{military_blank4}}} | data51 =

| label52 = {{{military_blank5}}} | data52 =

| data53 = | data54 = | data55 = | data56 = | data57 = | data58 = | belowstyle = border-top: 1px solid right;

| below =

{{#if:| As of {{{date}}}{{#if:|, {{{year}}}}}}}

{{#if:|Source: [{{{source}}}]}}

}}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}} }}{{#if:|{{#if:||{{#ifeq:{{#ifeq:|no|yes}}|yes||}}}} }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| regexp1 = 1blankname[%d]* | regexp2 = 1namedata[%d]* | regexp3 = 2blankname[%d]* | regexp4 = 2namedata[%d]* | regexp5 = 3blankname[%d]* | regexp6 = 3namedata[%d]* | regexp7 = 4blankname[%d]* | regexp8 = 4namedata[%d]* | regexp9 = 5blankname[%d]* | regexp10 = 5namedata[%d]* | allegiance | alma_mater | regexp11 = alongside[%d]* | alt | regexp12 = ambassador_from[%d]* | regexp13 = appointed[%d]* | regexp14 = appointer[%d]* | regexp15 = assembly[%d]* | awards | battles | battles_label | birth_date | birth_name | birth_place | birthname | regexp16 = blank[%d]* | bodyclass | branch | branch_label | cabinet | candidate | caption | categories | regexp17 = chancellor[%d]* | children | citizenship | regexp18 = co%-leader[%d]* | commands | committees | regexp19 = constituency[%d]* | regexp20 = constituency_AM[%d]* | regexp21 = constituency_MP[%d]* | regexp22 = convocation[%d]* | regexp23 = country[%d]* | regexp24 = data[%d]* | date | death_cause | death_date | death_manner | death_place | demo | regexp25 = deputy[%d]* | regexp26 = district[%d]* | education | election_date | embed | father | regexp28 = firstminister[%d]* | footnotes | regexp29 = governor[%d]* | regexp30 = governor_general[%d]* | regexp31 = governor%-general[%d]* | height | honorific_prefix | honorific-prefix | honorific_suffix | honorific-suffix | image | image name | image_name_alt | image_size | imagesize | image_upright | incumbent | regexp32 = jr/sr[%d]* | regexp33 = jr/sr and state[%d]* | known_for | regexp34 = leader[%d]* | regexp35 = legislature[%d]* | regexp36 = lieutenant[%d]* | regexp37 = lieutenant_governor[%d]* | mainwidth | regexp38 = majority[%d]* | regexp39 = majority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp40 = majority_leader[%d]* | regexp41 = majorityleader[%d]* | mawards | regexp42 = military_blank[%d]* | regexp43 = military_data[%d]* | regexp44 = minister[%d]* | regexp45 = minister_from[%d]* | regexp46 = minority_floor_leader[%d]* | regexp47 = minority_leader[%d]* | regexp48 = minorityleader[%d]* | regexp49 = module[%d]* | regexp50 = monarch[%d]* | mother | name | nationality | native_name | native_name_lang | nickname | nocat | regexp51 = nominator[%d]* | nominee | occupation | regexp52 = office[%d]* | opponent | regexp53 = order[%d]* | otherparty | parents | regexp54 = parliament[%d]* | regexp55 = parliamentarygroup[%d]* | partner | party | party_election | portfolio | regexp56 = preceded[%d]* | regexp57 = preceding[%d]* | regexp58 = predecessor[%d]* | regexp59 = premier[%d]* | regexp60 = president[%d]* | regexp61 = primeminister[%d]* | regexp62 = prior_term[%d]* | profession | pronunciation | rank | rank_label | relations | relatives | residence | resting_place | resting_place_coordinates | restingplace | restingplacecoordinates | regexp63 = riding[%d]* | runningmate | salary | serviceyears | serviceyears_label | signature | signature_alt | signature_size | smallimage | smallimage_alt | source | speaker | speaker_office | spouse | spouses | regexp64 = state[%d]* | regexp65 = state_assembly[%d]* | regexp66 = state_delegate[%d]* | regexp67 = state_house[%d]* | regexp68 = state_legislature[%d]* | regexp69 = state_senate[%d]* | regexp70 = status[%d]* | regexp71 = suboffice[%d]* | regexp72 = subterm[%d]* | regexp73 = succeeded[%d]* | regexp74 = succeeding[%d]* | regexp75 = successor[%d]* | regexp76 = taoiseach[%d]* | regexp77 = term[%d]* | regexp78 = term_end[%d]* | regexp79 = term_label[%d]* | regexp80 = term_start[%d]* | regexp81 = termend[%d]* | regexp82 = termlabel[%d]* | regexp83 = termstart[%d]* | regexp84 = title[%d]* | unit | unit_label | regexp85 = vicegovernor[%d]* | regexp86 = vicepremier[%d]* | regexp87 = vicepresident[%d]* | regexp88 = viceprimeminister[%d]* | regexp89 = assuming[%d]* | website | width | year }} Mary Coughlan (born 28 May 1965) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from 2008 to 2011, Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil from 2008 to 2011, Minister for Health and Children from January 2011 to March 2011, Minister for Education and Skills from 2010 to 2011, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2008 to 2010, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food from 2004 to 2008, Minister for Social and Family Affairs from 2002 to 2004 and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and the Islands from 2001 to 2002. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Donegal South-West constituency from 1987 to 2011.<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Early life

Coughlan was born in Donegal Town in the south of County Donegal in May 1965. Her father was Cathal Coughlan, a Fianna Fáil TD, who died in office in June 1986. She was educated at: Ballydevitt National School, on the outskirts of Donegal Town; the Ursuline College in Sligo, where she was a boarder from 1978 to 1983;<ref name=Ind14June02>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Subscription required</ref> and later at University College Dublin (UCD), graduating with a Social Science degree. She worked as a social worker for a brief period before becoming involved in politics.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political career

Early political life

Coming from a political family, Coughlan was always interested in politics and joined a Fianna Fáil {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (a local party branch) at the age of 16.<ref name=IrInd26Nov07>Template:Cite news</ref> Her uncle Clement Coughlan was a TD from 1980 until his death in 1983 in a road traffic accident, while her father Cathal Coughlan was a TD from 1983 to 1986 when he died after a short illness. Following the death of her father, Coughlan was co-opted onto Donegal County Council in 1986, which launched her political career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1987 general election as a Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal South-West.<ref name=elecs_irl>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the age of 21 years and nine months, Coughlan was the youngest member of the 25th Dáil.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

She remained on the backbenches of the Dáil for the first thirteen years of her career as a TD, before being appointed a junior minister.<ref name="drivetime20080401">Template:Cite AV media</ref> During this period she served on several Oireachtas committees, including the Joint Committee on Tourism, Sport and Recreation and the Joint Committee on the Irish language where she served as chairperson. Coughlan was also a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body. In 1994, Bertie Ahern became leader of Fianna Fáil and Leader of the Opposition. In early 1995 he named his new front bench, including Coughlan as spokesperson on educational reform. She was not included in the cabinet or junior ministerial team when the party came to office in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Minister of State

In February 2001, Coughlan was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, with responsibility for the Gaeltacht and Islands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Ind7June02/> In this role for just sixteen months, she was responsible for securing Government approval for the general scheme of the Official Languages Equality Bill, which aimed to confirm the language rights of citizens and outline their rights when dealing with the State in either official language.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also oversaw the coming-into-force of an amended Gaeltacht Housing Act, updating the supports available for Irish-speaking households building in or moving to the Gaeltacht.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Commission on Irish in the Gaeltacht ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) also completed its work under her guidance and Coughlan saw its report approved and published. During her time in this role, she also established a Working Group on the Creation of Employment in the Gaeltacht.<ref name=DeptRep02>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, during her tenure Coughlan oversaw significant investment in island infrastructure and the connection of islands to the national electricity grid, including Inishbofin Island, off the County Donegal coast, which was connected for the first time in 2002 by using an underwater cable from the mainland.<ref name=Ind7May02>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cabinet career (2002–2011)

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (2002–2004)

After the 2002 general election Coughlan was promoted to the cabinet as Minister for Social and Family Affairs. Her time in Social and Family Affairs saw increases in social welfare payments and the extension of family support.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She established the Family Support Agency with a mandate to support families, promote stability in family life, prevent marital breakdown and foster a supportive community environment for families at a local level.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Coughlan received criticism for changes she made regarding the availability of rent supplements. This was portrayed as targeting the weaker sections of society at a time when the Irish economy was reasonably strong.<ref name="IrInd28Sept04">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=FingInd13Dec02>Template:Cite news</ref> She was also widely criticised for cuts she made as Minister to entitlements for widows and widowers after the death of a spouse. The cuts were part of a wider drive for a reduction in government spending in the autumn of 2002.<ref name=IrInd30Sept2004>Template:Cite news</ref> However, many considered these and other similar cutbacks to have been forced upon her by Charlie McCreevy,<ref name=IrInd27Sept2004/> who was Minister for Finance at the time, and who was blamed for many of his decisions. She was also involved in resolving<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a dispute over payments with the country's dentists.<ref name=IrInd27Sept2004>Template:Cite news</ref>

During her time as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Coughlan was praised for introducing large increases in child benefits and pensions.<ref name="IrInd27Sept2004"/> Her work on the pensions element of her portfolio also saw her introduce Personal Retirement Savings Accounts. Coughlan also established the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman and provided additional funding and support for the State's Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (2004–2008)

In a 2004 reshuffle, Coughlan succeeded Joe Walsh as Minister for Agriculture and Food, becoming the first woman to hold that portfolio in the Republic of Ireland (her fellow Donegal woman, Bríd Rodgers, had become the first woman to be appointed as a full-ranking Agriculture Minister in Ireland when she had been appointed Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Northern Ireland Executive in December 1999, serving until October 2002).<ref name=IrInd30Sept2004/>

During her time in this role the country's last two remaining sugar factories, owned by Greencore, were closed. The Carlow factory closed on 11 March 2005. Mallow, Ireland's last sugar factory to remain open, closed on 12 May 2006,<ref name= IrInd13May06>Template:Cite news</ref> after operating for 77 years. Farmers and others were critical of the decision.<ref name=IrInd13May06/> They criticised the government's and the Minister's roles, both were seen as not doing enough to try to stop the closures, though they had retained some control over the factories since they had been privatised several years before. As sugar beet growers now had nowhere to sell their sugar beet, cultivation of the crop ceased in Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Coughlan also headed this department at a time when the spread of bird flu from abroad looked very likely to occur, especially in 2006.<ref name=IrInd7Apr06>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coughlan was re-appointed to the portfolio on 14 June 2007 following the 2007 general election, with the additional responsibility of fisheries as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Shortly after her re-appointment Coughlan had to put in place measures to deal with the threat of the potential spread of foot-and-mouth disease from Great Britain in early August 2007.<ref name=IrExamr11Aug07>Template:Cite news</ref>

Throughout her time in this ministry, Coughlan was involved in ongoing WTO trade talks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During these trade talks, in which Irish agriculture was threatened by attacks on EU farm subsidies and free access to EU markets, she allied with French ministers to resist the proposals.<ref>McNamara,Maedhbh. A woman's place is in the Cabinet: women ministers in Irish governments 1919-2019. Drogheda,Sea Dog Books,2020.ISBN 978-1-913275-06-8</ref>

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (2008–2010)

Following Bertie Ahern's resignation on 6 May 2008, Coughlan, in a cabinet re-shuffle, became Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 7 May 2008, by newly appointed Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

As a proponent of the Treaty of Lisbon, Coughlan was noted to have "quietly withdrawn" from the first referendum campaign after she embarrassed the Government in a radio interview by not knowing the number of European Commissioners.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Over a period of four days Coughlan stated that the EU's larger nations still had two Commissioners each.<ref name="cowencautionwind">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="calamitysgreatestblunders"/> In fact, the bigger states had lost their second places on the Commission in 2004. According to an editorial in The Irish Times, "how someone who had spent several years around an EU Council of Ministers' table could not know that is extraordinary".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Responding to a row over medical cards she displayed insufficient mathematical skill, saying "Of the savings of €100 million, €86 million is for GPs and €30 million is for pharmacists".<ref name="calamitysgreatestblunders"/>

Her performance as Tánaiste in defence of the October 2008 budget was criticised by opposition politicians and the media,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with Fine Gael's Leo Varadkar publicly comparing Coughlan to gaffe-prone Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Varadkar's comments were challenged by broadcaster John Bowman and Sunday Tribune journalist Justine McCarthy, as well as by Coughlan herself.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coughlan announced a third change in the budgetary position, in her local constituency, before cabinet agreement and five days before the responsible Minister for Social and Family Affairs announced it to the nation, via RTÉ Radio.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coughlan acted to clean up years of wasteful spending by executives at FÁS, the state training and employment agency, and was considered to have taken a tough line with Director General, Rody Molloy, who was forced to resign in November 2008.<ref>Later, it was discovered that Molloy had received a payoff of €1 million and the retention of his company car, destroying the earlier view of a tough line being taken by Coughlan, who approved the payment without reference to either the Cabinet or official guidelines.Template:Cite news</ref>

The 2008 fall in the value of sterling against the euro saw the price gap between North and South widen and shoppers cross to Northern Ireland to the perceived detriment of businesses within the Republic of Ireland. Coughlan asked<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> multiple retailers within the Republic to reduce their margins and provide better value to consumers in the Republic. Research from Forfás,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> concluded that only a five per cent difference in the cost of goods between North and South was justifiable. The findings highlighted retailers' larger margins in the Republic about their operations in the North, and Coughlan queried why the price differential in many identical goods was substantially more than 5%. Coughlan said: "I don't own a shop. The Government doesn't own a shop. It's up to Tesco, it's up to Superquinn, it's up to Aldi, it's up to Lidl; it's up to them to cut their prices. They need to ensure that that happens; they have to do something about it."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> When retailers continued to remain silent on the price differential, Coughlan sent in the Competition Authority to investigate supply chains in the retail sector.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coughlan was condemned for doing "too little too late" in relation to large-scale loss of employment at a Dell facility in Limerick, despite successfully retaining 2,000 Dell employees in Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also successfully secured over €22 million of European Globalisation Adjustment Fund money to the benefit of the workers made redundant in Limerick.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coughlan was accused by an opposition spokesperson of being unable to debate exchequer figures.<ref name="Coughlandpt">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coughlan acted to close loopholes in company law that made it possible for bank directors not to have to disclose the full extent of their indebtedness to the bank in its published accounts. She also strengthened the powers of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to enforce company law provisions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 24 April 2009, one of Coughlan's demoted junior ministers, John McGuinness, criticised Coughlan and Cowen for the lack of leadership being given to the country, saying: "She's not equipped to deal with the complex issues of dealing with enterprise and business within the department. And neither is the department".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> McGuinness' credibility was subsequently undermined when it was revealed that he had hired external PR advice in an effort to undermine Coughlan and enhance his own profile as a Minister of State within her department.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref>

In April 2009, she denied there would be a supplementary budget – one was announced five days later – also claiming that the public finances were under control at the same time.<ref name="calamitysgreatestblunders"/>

In September that year Coughlan was described as Calamity Coughlan,<ref name="calamitysgreatestblunders">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="darwineinstein">"Calamity Coughlan Blunder: After mixing up Darwin and Einstein, how long can we carry on with our laughing stock Tanaiste?".</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="budgetelectionsecret">Template:Cite news</ref> having been left red-faced after erroneously referring to the theory of evolution as having been formulated by Einstein.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later that month she apparently let slip the date of a general election while speaking about the budget when Brian Cowen was in New York.<ref name="budgetelectionsecret"/> She also called her Green Party colleagues "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}" – Irish language for "the vegetables".<ref name="cowencautionwind"/>

Minister for Education and Skills (2010–2011)

On 23 March 2010, as part of a cabinet reshuffle, she was appointed as Minister for Education and Skills, while retaining the position of Tánaiste.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> One of Coughlan's first initiatives in the portfolio was to voice her support for the introduction of a CAO points bonus for students studying higher level maths.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She revamped the Student Maintenance Grant application procedure, streamlining administration and getting the scheme out two months earlier than in previous years. Following the resignation of Mary Harney in January 2011, Coughlan was also appointed as Minister for Health and Children.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Loss of seat

At the 2011 general election, Coughlan lost her seat to Independent candidate Thomas Pringle. Her first preference vote more than halved from 26.5% in 2007 to just over 11%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Her running mate Brian Ó Domhnaill also failed to be elected, leaving Donegal South-West without a Fianna Fáil TD for the first time in its history. The loss of her seat was considered the most high-profile casualty of the Fianna Fáil meltdown.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Guardian newspaper described it as "Ireland's Portillo moment".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Coughlan received a lump sum of €237,000, and an annual pension of €140,000. In 2022, Coughlan stepped back into public life when she was appointed Chair of the National Conference on Women in Farming by her successor as Donegal Fianna Fáil TD, the Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Views on LGBT rights

During her time as Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Coughlan became involved in several LGBT rights controversies. In March 2004, she introduced the Social Welfare Amendment Act 2004 in response to a case involving same-sex partner benefits.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Under the Equal Status Act 2000,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a gay pensioner successfully petitioned the Equality Authority to allow his male partner to travel as his 'spouse' using the pensioner's travel pass.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> The legislation which Coughlan subsequently produced limited the meaning of the word 'spouse' to include only married couples; this was regarded by the Opposition parties and LGBT rights campaigners as discriminatory towards same-sex couples as there had been no legal recognition of same-sex unions in the Republic of Ireland at the time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two months later, Coughlan caused comment at a European Union conference on family and social policy by stating that Ireland would never be ready for same-sex marriage or gay adoption.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During her time in Social and Family Affairs, Coughlan produced a report discussing new definitions of 'the family' which recommended a more progressive approach to the matter. This influenced the government's 2008 civil union legislation.<ref name="drivetime20080401" />

Personal life

Coughlan is a fluent Irish speaker.<ref name=Ind7June02>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1991 Coughlan married David Charlton, a Garda Síochána officer who was working at Leinster House. Several years after their marriage, Charlton was seriously injured in a car accident, losing his leg. The couple have two children - a son and a daughter.<ref name=Ind10May08>Template:Cite news</ref> They lived at Frosses, a village just west of Donegal town.<ref name=Ind10May08/><ref name=Dpost9May08>Template:Cite news</ref> Charlton died from cancer on 2 September 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Coughlan served as secretary of the St Naul's GAA club.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

• What Brian and Mary did next