Bernard Durkan TD

Bernard J Durkan, originally from Killasser, Co Mayo, is a Fine Gael TD in the Kildare North. His political career commenced in 1981 when he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the Kildare Constituency. Despite briefly losing his seat in February 1982 when Fine Gael was defeated, he quickly regained it in November of that same year. A notable achievement of Bernard’s career is that he has been re-elected in every subsequent election to date.


Bernard’s time as a TD has seen him serving as Minister of State for Social Welfare from 1994-1997. He has also been involved in various different Committees and Boards. He previously acted as Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee of European Affairs and Chairman of Kildare County Council. He was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee, the Eastern Health Board, and has previously served as Fine Gael Chief Whip. Currently, Bernard serves as Vice Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas on Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and is a member of the Joint Committee on European Affairs.


During his time in office, Bernard has been a Fine Gael Front Bench spokesperson on a wide range of topics including Health, Food, Trade and Industry, Insurance, Overseas Development Aid and Human rights, and Communications and Natural resources.
 


Speech: Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013

To take up Deputy John Browne's last point on the total number of people on local authority housing waiting lists, it is indeed a housing crisis. It is one the Minister of State inherited from her predecessors. It has continued for ten years because the previous Administration refused to do anything about it...

Children: Youth Unemployment 9th May 2013

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she and or her Department has directly or in conjunction with other Departments managed to focus on the issue of youth unemployment...

Children: Youth Poverty 9th May 2013

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department has been made aware of youth poverty; her strategy to address any such issues...

Children: Bullying & Policies to address the issue 9th May 2013

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department has studied the various forms of bullying most commonly identified in order of prevalence and age group...

Speech: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing)(Amendment) Bill 2013

I welcome this important legislation, which I have called for on many occasions, and compliment the Minister on bringing it before the House. We have learned from the downturn in the economy...