Brendan Howlin
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Brendan Howlin (b. 1956) is an Irish Labour Party politician. He was elected as a Labour Party TD in 1987 and has held his seat ever since. He has previously served as Minister for Health (1993-1994) and Minister for the Environment (1994-1997). He is currently the Labour Party Spokesperson for Enterprise, Trade & Employment.
Named after former Labour Party leader Brendan Corish, Brendan Howlin was born in Wexford. He was educated locally at Wexford CBS and St. Patrick's Teacher Training College, Dublin. He worked as a primary school teacher before embarking on a political career in 1981 on Wexford Borough Council. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to be elected to Dáil Éireann in 1982, however, he was nominated to serve in Seanad Éireann by Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald. Howlin was successful on his second attempt when he was elected as a Labour Party TD, taking in 1987.
Howlin was immediately appointed Labour Party Chief Whip, a position he held until 1993. That year he became Minister for Health in the Fianna Fáil-Labour Party coalition government. The following year he was appointed Minister for the Environment in the Rainbow Coalition. In 1997 he was unsuccessful in his bid to succeed Dick Spring as leader of the Labour Party. He became Deputy-Leader instead. He was again unsuccessful in another leadership bid in 2002.
| Preceded by: John O'Connell | Minister for Health 1993-1994 | Succeeded by: Michael Woods |
| Preceded by: Michael Smith | Minister for the Environment 1994-1997 | Succeeded by: Noel Dempsey |