Séamus BrennanPosition: Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Age:59
Party:Fianna Fáil
Constituency:Dublin South
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Political career:Former general secretary of Fianna Fáil in the 1970s, he has been a TD for 26 years.
A great survivor, he has held a number of portfolios, including as minister for tourism and transport from 1989 to 1991, and communications was added to his portfolio the following year. He was minister for education until 1993 and minister for commerce from 1993 to 1994. A policy-driven minister who is shrewd and persuasive.
Immediate challenges:the decentralisation of his department to Killarney; increased demand for improved sports facilities in schools.