Former Minister Mary O’Rourke has died at the age of 87.
She was first elected to the Dáil as a Fianna Fáil TD in the Longford-Westmeath constituency in 1982 and served as Deputy Leader of the party from 1994 to 2002.
She served as Education Minister and Health Minister among other portfolios under different Governments.
The first as Minister for Education under Charlie Haughey in 1987, and then Minister for Health in 1991.
In 1997 then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern appointed her deputy leader of the party, and Minister for Public Enterprise.
After losing her seat in 2002, she went to the Seanad where she was appointed leader of the House. She returned to the Dáil in 2007, but lost her seat in 2011.
Speaking on her death, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “It is with great sadness that I today learned of the death of former Minister, Mary O’Rourke.
“Mary was a force to be reckoned with, both in terms of political nous and in terms of being a magnetic personality that drew people in. She…
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