View source for Pat Rabbitte

{{Short description|Irish former Labour Party leader (b. 1949)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name          = Pat Rabbitte 
| image         = Pat Rabbitte, circa 2002.jpg 
| caption       = Rabbitte, {{circa|2002}}
| office        = [[Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources]]
| taoiseach     = [[Enda Kenny]]
| term_start    = 9 March 2011
| term_end      = 11 July 2014
| predecessor   = [[Pat Carey]]
| successor     = [[Alex White (Irish politician)|Alex White]]
| office1       = [[Leader of the Labour Party (Ireland)|Leader of the Labour Party]]
| deputy1       = [[Liz McManus]]
| term_start1   = 25 October 2002
| term_end1     = 6 September 2007
| predecessor1  = [[Ruairi Quinn]]
| successor1    = [[Eamon Gilmore]]
| office2       = [[Minister of State (Ireland)|Minister of State]]
| suboffice2    = [[Minister of State to the Government|Government]]
| subterm2      = 1994–1997
| suboffice3    = [[Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Enterprise and Employment]]
| subterm3      = 1994–1997
| office4       = [[Teachta Dála]]
| term_start4   = [[1989 Irish general election|June 1989]]
| term_end4     = [[2016 Irish general election|February 2016]]
| constituency4 = [[Dublin South-West (Dáil constituency)|Dublin South-West]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1949|5|18|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Claremorris]], [[County Mayo]], Ireland
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| party         = [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]]
| spouse        = {{marriage|Derry Rabbitte|1981}}
| children      = 3
| education     = [[St Colman's College, Claremorris|St Colman's College]]
| alma_mater    = [[University of Galway|University College Galway]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nuigalway.ie/alumni/newsletter/spring2011.html |title=Former NUI Galway Students, including Taoiseach, take senior roles in Cabinet |date=Spring 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509052031/http://www.nuigalway.ie/alumni/newsletter/spring2011.html |archive-date=9 May 2012}}</ref>
|}}
'''Pat Rabbitte''' (born 18 May 1949) is an Irish former [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] politician who served as [[Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources]] from 2011 to 2014, [[Leader of the Labour Party (Ireland)|Leader of the Labour Party]] from 2002 to 2007 and a [[Minister of State (Ireland)|Minister of State]] from 1994 to 1997. He served as a [[Teachta Dála]] (TD) for the [[Dublin South-West (Dáil constituency)|Dublin South-West]] constituency from 1989 to 2016.<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{cite web |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Pat-Rabbitte.D.1989-06-29/ |title=Pat Rabbitte |work=Oireachtas Members Database |date=2 February 2016 |access-date=28 December 2018 |archive-date=29 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229031711/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Pat-Rabbitte.D.1989-06-29/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=RTE_23082007>{{cite news |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0823/labour.html |title=Rabbitte resigns as Labour leader |work=[[RTÉ News]] |date=23 August 2007 |access-date=23 August 2007 |archive-date=8 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508022149/http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0823/labour.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Early life==
Patrick Rabbitte was born near [[Claremorris]] in 1949, and was brought up in Woodstock, [[Ballindine]], [[County Mayo]]. He was educated locally at [[St Colman's College, Claremorris]] before emigrating to Britain to find employment. He returned shortly afterward to attend [[University of Galway|University College Galway]] (UCG) where he studied Arts and Law. Whilst at university, Rabbitte became involved in several college movements before serving as President of the [[University of Galway Students' Union|UCG Students' Union]] in 1970–1971. He achieved national attention while serving, between 1972 and 1974, as President of the national [[Union of Students in Ireland]] (USI). Following the completion of his presidency in 1974, he became an official in the [[Irish Transport and General Workers' Union]] (ITGWU), becoming National Secretary for the union in 1980.

Rabbitte became involved in electoral politics for the first time in late 1982, when he unsuccessfully contested [[Dublin South-West (Dáil constituency)|Dublin South-West]] for the [[Workers' Party (Ireland)|Workers' Party]] (WP) at the [[November 1982 Irish general election|November general election]]. He was elected to [[Dublin County Council]] in 1985. Having again failed in election at the [[1987 Irish general election|1987 general election]], though with a greatly improved performance in the same constituency, he finally entered [[Dáil Éireann]] as a [[Teachta Dála]] (TD) for Dublin South-West at the [[1989 Irish general election|1989 election]]. He retained his seat at every subsequent election until his retirement in 2016—for the first two as a [[Democratic Left (Ireland)|Democratic Left]] TD, and for subsequent ones representing the Labour Party.<ref name=elecs_irl>{{cite web |url=http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=896 |title=Pat Rabbitte |work=ElectionsIreland.org |access-date=29 October 2009 |archive-date=12 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312062758/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=896 |url-status=live }}</ref>

After [[Tomás Mac Giolla]]'s retirement as President of the WP in 1988, Rabbitte was seen as one of those who wanted to move the party away from its [[hard left]] position, and from its alignment with the [[Soviet Union]] and international [[communist]] and workers' parties. He and some others who had come from the USI via the [[trade union]] movement were seen as wanting to bring the WP toward the centre.<ref>Conversations with Eamon Dunphy, RTÉ Radio 1, 8 September 2007.</ref>{{better source needed|date=May 2022}} This led Rabbitte, [[Eamon Gilmore]] and others to earn the nickname "The Student Princes". In 1992, Rabbitte played a prominent role with [[Proinsias De Rossa]] in an attempt to jettison some of the party's more hard-left positions. This eventually split the WP.<ref>See "Patterns of Betrayal, The flight from Socialism", Repsol, Dublin 1992.</ref> Six of the seven TDs, including Rabbitte, joined [[Democratic Left (Ireland)|Democratic Left]].

==Junior Minister: 1994–1997==
In 1994, a new [[24th Government of Ireland|Rainbow Coalition]] government of [[Fine Gael]], the Labour Party and Democratic Left came to office midway through the Dáil term. Rabbitte was appointed as [[Minister of State to the Government]], as well as [[Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Minister at the Department of Enterprise and Employment]] with responsibility for Commerce, Science and Technology.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1995-01-24/18/|title=Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (27th Dáil) – Vol. 447 No. 11|date=25 January 1995|access-date=13 January 2020|website=Houses of the Oireachtas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Irish legislation|name=Enterprise and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 1995|year=1995|type=si|number=42|date=14 February 1995}}; {{Cite Irish legislation|name=Enterprise and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 1996|year=1996|type=si|number=250|date=26 November 1996}}; {{Cite Irish legislation|name=Enterprise and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 1997|year=1997|type=si|number=165|date=22 April 1997}}</ref> He attended cabinet meetings, but without a vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1995-01-25/5/|title=Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Minister of State's Status and Role – Dáil Éireann (27th Dáil) – Vol. 448 No. 1|date=25 January 1995|access-date=9 November 2019|website=[[Oireachtas|Houses of the Oireachtas]]}}</ref> During his tenure as a junior minister, Rabbitte was involved in establishing an anti-drugs strategy as well as enacting legislation which gave the [[credit union]] movement more authority. Rabbitte also decided to locate the proposed new state-backed Technology Campus for West Dublin, based on high-speed telecommunication links, at CityWest Business Campus beside the N7 motorway, near [[Clondalkin]].

==Labour Party leader and aftermath==
Following the [[1997 Irish general election|1997 general election]] the Rainbow Coalition lost office. In 1999, Democratic Left merged with the Labour Party, with Rabbitte participating in the negotiations. In October 2002 Rabbitte succeeded [[Ruairi Quinn]] as leader of the Labour Party. Under his leadership the party made some gains in the [[2004 Irish local elections|2004 local elections]]. Rabbitte has been described as an extremely good performer in the Dáil, often outshining his Fine Gael counterpart [[Enda Kenny]]. He was also noted for his anti-[[Fianna Fáil]] rhetoric.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Under Rabbitte the Labour Party agreed to enter a pre-election pact with Fine Gael in an attempt to offer the electorate an alternative coalition government at the [[2007 Irish general election|2007 general election]], which took place in May 2007. This was commonly known as The Mullingar Accord and the proposed alternative government was called the Alliance for Change. The [[Green Party (Ireland)|Green Party]] were also anticipated to be likely members of the coalition government on the basis of agreed points of view on many issues covered by the Mullingar Accord.

The election result did not return a sufficient number of seats for the Alliance for Change to occupy government, even with the support of the Green Party. Rabbitte himself commented on the election result: "This leaves Mr. Ahern in the driving seat". Negotiations between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party resulted in a Fianna Fáil leader [[Bertie Ahern]] forming a [[27th Government of Ireland|new government]] on 13 June 2007.

Following the disappointing result in the election for Labour, Rabbitte announced he was stepping down as leader on 23 August 2007. In his resignation statement, he took responsibility for the outcome of the recent general election, in which his party failed to gain new seats and failed to replace the outgoing government.<ref name=RTE_23082007/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/1187883498685473.html |title=''Pat Rabbitte announces he is standing down as Labour Party leader'' (resignation speech text) |work=Labour party website |date=23 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305094112/http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/1187883498685473.html |archive-date=5 March 2012 }}</ref> He was succeeded as party leader by [[Eamon Gilmore]].

Rabbitte gained public attention on 18 November 2010 when he angrily criticised the [[Minister for Children, Disability and Equality|Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs]], [[Pat Carey]], when they appeared together on ''[[Prime Time (Irish TV programme)|Prime Time]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1120/1224283770140.html |title=Miriam Lord's Week: Spat of the Pats is Prime attraction |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |date=20 November 2010 |access-date=21 November 2010 |archive-date=24 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124141455/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1120/1224283770140.html |url-status=live }}</ref> An online recording of the outburst was viewed 100,000 times in its first three days there.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqx4E5tq1Bo&feature=aso |title=Pat Rabbitte sticks it to Pat Carey on Prime Time |work=[[YouTube]] |access-date=17 November 2010 |archive-date=5 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905212432/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqx4E5tq1Bo&feature=aso |url-status=live }}</ref>

Rabbitte was re-elected on the first count in the [[2011 Irish general election|2011 general election]]. His running mate [[Eamonn Maloney]] was also elected.

===Ministerial career: 2011–2014===
[[Image:Pat Rabbitte, May 2015 (cropped).jpg|thumb|200px|Rabbitte in 2015]]
On 9 March 2011, Rabbitte was appointed [[Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Appointment of Members of Government; Assignment of Departments of State|date=15 March 2011|journal=[[Iris Oifigiúil]]|url=https://irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2011/march/IR150311.pdf|issue=21|volume=2011|pages=380–381, 383|access-date=10 August 2021|archive-date=10 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810130906/https://irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2011/march/IR150311.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The journalist [[Fintan O'Toole]], writing in ''[[The Irish Times]]'' in August 2011, criticised the lack of royalties system for gas and oil in Ireland. He claimed: "The State is about to sign away almost all our resources on terms by far the worst in the developed world".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0816/1224302525090.html|title=Let's make Norway joint owner of our oil and gas|work=[[Irish Times]]|date=16 August 2011|first=Fintan|last=O'Toole|access-date=18 August 2011|archive-date=18 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818123111/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0816/1224302525090.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rabbitte responded with a letter, claiming that the article was inaccurate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0818/1224302638286.html|title=Oil firms will shun us if we have Norwegian-style taxes|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=18 August 2011|access-date=18 August 2011|archive-date=18 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818184435/https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2011/0818/1224302638286.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rabbitte's response was in turn criticised by [[Cian O'Callaghan]],&nbsp;a Labour Party member of [[Fingal County Council]], as "misguided".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2011/0819/1224302708018.html|title=Sharing energy with Norway|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=19 August 2011|access-date=21 August 2011|archive-date=18 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118091036/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2011/0819/1224302708018.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2014, Rabbitte was replaced by [[Alex White (Irish politician)|Alex White]] as part of a reshuffle of the cabinet. He did not contest the [[2016 Irish general election|2016 general election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/rabbitte-2201860-Jul2015/|title=Pat Rabbitte will NOT be contesting the next general election|work=TheJournal.ie|date=6 July 2015|access-date=13 August 2015|archive-date=10 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910021748/http://www.thejournal.ie/rabbitte-2201860-Jul2015/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060328023927/http://www.labour.ie/patrabbitte/ Pat Rabbitte's page on the Labour Party website]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-new|office}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State to the Government]]
       |years  = 1994–1997}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Bobby Molloy]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Séamus Brennan]]
       |before2= [[Mary O'Rourke]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment]]
       |years  = 1994–1997
       |with   = [[Eithne FitzGerald]]}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Tom Kitt (politician)|Tom Kitt]]
       |after2 = [[Michael Smith (Irish politician)|Michael Smith]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Pat Carey]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources]]
       |years  = 2011–2014}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Alex White (Irish politician)|Alex White]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Ruairi Quinn]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Leader of the Labour Party (Ireland)|Leader of the Labour Party]]
       |years  = 2002–2007}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Eamon Gilmore]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{29th Government of Ireland}}
{{Dublin South-West (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}
{{Labour Party (Ireland)}}
{{OIRA/WP}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabbitte, Pat}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Galway]]
[[Category:Members of Dublin County Council]]
[[Category:Democratic Left (Ireland) TDs]]
[[Category:Labour Party (Ireland) TDs]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Labour Party (Ireland)]]
[[Category:Members of South Dublin County Council]]
[[Category:Members of the 26th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 27th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 28th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 29th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 30th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 31st Dáil]]
[[Category:Ministers of state of the 27th Dáil]]
[[Category:Politicians from County Mayo]]
[[Category:Workers' Party (Ireland) TDs]]
[[Category:People from Claremorris]]