FORMER FINE Gael TD Michael Begley, who has died aged 78, served two terms as a minister of state in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mr Begley, a native of Dingle, Co Kerry, was first elected to the Dáil for the Kerry South constituency in the 1969 general election.
He was a fluent Irish speaker, and was frontbench spokesman on the Gaeltacht from 1970-73 and on fisheries from 1972-73.
When Fine Gael formed a coalition government with Labour in 1973, he was appointed parliamentary secretary (minister of state) to the minister for local government, serving there until 1975.
He was then appointed parliamentary secretary to the minister for finance and minister for defence, following the death of Henry Kenny, father of Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
When Fine Gael lost power in 1977, he returned to his Gaeltacht post in opposition.
In the Fine Gael-Labour coalition from June 1981 to March 1982, he was minister of state for trade, commerce and tourism, with special responsibility for tourism.
He lost his seat in 1989.
Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Charlie Flanagan described Mr Begley as “an active and often outspoken character’’ who set the scene for robust debates and discussions, both in the parliamentary party and in his constituency in Kerry.
“He was a staunch campaigner on behalf of the marine industry in this country, and he made a great contribution to all aspects of government policy,’’ Mr Flanagan added.
He said he would like to acknowledge the hard work Mr Begley conducted on behalf of the party and government during his political career.
