- Avril Doyle
Avril Doyle (born 18 April 1949) is an Irish politician and
Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East constituency. She is a member ofFine Gael , part of theEuropean People's Party .Avril Belton was born in
Dublin and was educated atUniversity College Dublin . Her fatherRichard Belton was a Senator and her grandfatherPatrick Belton was aTeachta Dála (TD). She was a member ofWexford County Council , including a term as Mayor of Wexford Town. She was first elected toDáil Éireann at the November 1982 general election, losing her seat in the 1989 general election. She was re-elected in the 1992 general election, again losing her seat in the 1997 general election to party colleagueMichael D'Arcy, Snr . She was a member of the Seanad from 1989–1992 and from 1997–2002. She was elected as an MEP in 1999 and re-elected in 2004. She served as a Minister of State in the Fine Gael coalition governments of 1982–87 and 1994–97.Doyle made news during debate in the
European Parliament in June 2008 after the rejection of theTreaty of Lisbon by Irish voters. A group of British Eurosceptic MEPs wore green hats and T-shirts, encouraging the EU to respect the Irish no vote. However, many Irish MEPs saw this as self-serving and felt that there would be no Eurosceptic support for Irish opinion had the treaty been accepted; and Doyle was both lauded and criticised for the following witty comment, which is a reference to the forceful occupation of Ireland by Britain despite popular opinion:"How the history books could have been written differently, if respect for the Irish vote from some of our British colleagues was always there." [ [http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-rte-marianfinucane-Sunday.smil Avril Doyle's comments in Euro Parliament] ]
ee also
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Families in the Oireachtas References
*oireachtas-database|1=http://oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=24&MemberID=339&ConstID=181
External links
* [http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3567 Avril Doyle's electoral history] (ElectionsIreland.org)
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