Joan Burton

Joan Burton (born 1 February 1949) is an Irish Labour Party politician and the current Minister for Social Protection. She is a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin West constituency.

Burton was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1992 general election. From 1995–97, she was Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs. She lost her seat at the 1997 general election but was re-elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2002 general election.

Early and private life

Burton is a native of the Stoneybatter area of Dublin. She was adopted by the Burton's as a baby and brought up in Inchicore. Her adoptive father worked in the local iron foundry.She was educated at St Gabriel's NS, Cowper St and St Joseph Sisters of Charity Secondary School, Stanhope Street and University College Dublin (UCD) where she graduated with a degree in Commerce. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. She has worked as a lecturer in Accountancy in the Dublin Institute of Technology and the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Political career

She first stood for election at the 1989 general election, when she stood as one of two Labour candidates in the Dublin Central constituency, failing to get elected. At the local elections in 1991, she was elected to Dublin County Council for the Mulhuddart electoral area. Burton was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1992 general election, representing Dublin West in the 27th Dáil. On...
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