Gemma Hussey
| Gemma Hussey | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Social Welfare | |
|
In office 14 February 1986 – 10 March 1987 |
|
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Barry Desmond |
| Succeeded by | Michael Woods |
| Minister for Labour | |
|
In office 20 January – 10 March 1987 |
|
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Ruairi Quinn |
| Succeeded by | Bertie Ahern |
| Minister for Education | |
|
In office 14 December 1982 – 14 February 1986 |
|
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Gerard Brady |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Cooney |
| Leader of Seanad Éireann | |
|
In office 8 October 1981 – 26 March 1982 |
|
| Taoiseach | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Eoin Ryan, Snr |
| Succeeded by | Eoin Ryan, Snr |
| Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad | |
|
In office 8 October 1981 – 26 March 1982 |
|
| Leader | Garret FitzGerald |
| Preceded by | Patrick Cooney |
| Succeeded by | James Dooge |
| Teachta Dála | |
|
In office February 1982 – June 1989 |
|
| Constituency | Wicklow |
| Senator | |
|
In office 10 October 1977 – 25 February 1982 |
|
| Constituency | National University of Ireland |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gemma Moran 11 November 1938 Foxrock, Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse(s) | Ivor Hussey |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Gemma Hussey (born 11 November 1938) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician.
Gemma Moran was born in Dublin in 1938. She was educated at Loreto College, Foxrock and at University College Dublin. Hussey had a successful career running a language school in the late 1960s and '70s.
She was elected by the National University of Ireland to Seanad Éireann, serving in the upper house of the Oireachtas from 1977 until 1982. She sat as an independent senator for the first three years, before serving as Fine Gael spokesperson on Women's Affairs (1981–82) and then as Government Leader of the Seanad.
She was first elected to Dáil Éireann on her second attempt, at the February 1982 general election, as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) for Wicklow.
Hussey served as Minister for Education in the Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition government of Garret FitzGerald from 1982 to 1986, during which time she was heavily criticised by teachers' unions during a bitter pay strike in 1984. In 1986 she was reshuffled to the equally contentious Social Welfare ministry.
Always a liberal and a feminist, she took a strongly supportive position on the legalisation of divorce, which was defeated in a referendum in 1986, and frequently suggested that she supported the liberalisation of Ireland's abortion ban. A member of Fine Gael's liberal wing, which included Monica Barnes, Nuala Fennell, Alan Shatter and Alan Dukes, she was disliked by the conservative wing of the party which included TDs like Oliver J. Flanagan, Alice Glenn and Gerry L'Estrange.
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