Batt O'Keeffe

Infobox Minister
name = Batt O'Keeffe


imagesize = 100px
honorific-suffix = TD
order2 = Minister for Education & Science
predecessor2= Mary Hanafin
successor2 =
term_start2 = 7 May 2008
term_finish2=
taoiseach2 = Brian Cowen
office3 = Teachta Dála for
Cork North West
constituency3 =
predecessor3 = Donal Moynihan
successor3 =
term_start3 = 24 May 2007
term_end3 =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1945|4|2|df=yes
birth_place = Cullen, County Cork, Ireland
death_date =
death_place =
party = Fianna Fáil
occupation = Lecturer
salary =
alma_mater = University College Cork
religion = Roman Catholic
children =
website =
footnotes =

Bartholomew "Batt" O'Keeffe (born 2 April 1945), is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He is a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork North West and is currently the Minister for Education and Science.

O'Keeffe was born in Cullen, County Cork. He was educated at St. Brendan's, Killarney , County Kerry and at University College Cork where he received a Bachelor of Arts. O'Keeffe worked as a Lecturer in Cork Institute of Technology before becoming involved in politics. He also had a sporting career. O'Keeffe is the holder of 3 Munster Gaelic Athletic Association medals with Cork at Under 21, Junior and Senior level. He was also a Cork Intermediate Handball Champion. In 1985 he was elected to Cork County Council.

In the 1987 general election O'Keeffe was first elected to Dáil Éireann, serving in the 25th Dáil. He lost his seat to Micheál Martin in the 1989 general election but he was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann where he was Spokesperson on Finance. In the 1992 general election O'Keeffe was re-elected to the Dáil and has been re-elected at each subsequent election. Between 1995 and 1997 O'Keeffe was Opposition Spokesperson on Transport & Communications. He has also served on a number of committees including the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, the Public Accounts Committee and the Sustainable Development Committee. In Bertie Ahern's Cabinet reshuffle of 2004 O'Keeffe was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with special responsibility for Environmental Protection.

In 2006 O'Keeffe was selected unopposed to contest the 2007 general election in the re-drawn Cork North West constituency along with Michael Moynihan and Donal Moynihan. O'Keeffe was successfully elected though his party colleague Donal Moynihan lost his seat. In 2007 O'Keeffe was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal. In 2008, when Brian Cowen became Taoiseach, O'Keeffe was appointed as Minister for Education and Science.

External links

* [http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3925 Batt O'Keeffe's electoral history]

ee also

* Ministers of State of the 29th Dáil

Navboxes
title=Batt O'Keeffe
list1=succession box
before = Gene Fitzgerald
title = Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cork South Central
years = 1987–1989
after = Micheál Martinsuccession box
before = John Dennehy
title = Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cork South Central
years = 1992–2007
after = Michael McGrathincumbent succession box
before = Donal Moynihan
title = Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cork North West
start = 2007succession box
before = Pat "the Cope" Gallagher
title = Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
"(with special responsibility for Environmental Protection)"
years = 2004–2007
after = "Office abolished"