Dr. Mary Harney

Mary Harney is a former Irish politician who was Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) for 10 years and for 17 years served as Minister in various Departments – as Minister for Environmental Protection, for Enterprise, Trade, Employment, Science and Technology and for Health.  

She was the first woman Tánaiste and was the longest serving woman as cabinet minister in Ireland. Mary was also the first woman to lead a political party in Ireland. Having retired from politics in 2011 she now engages in business consultancy and is a director in healthcare and in technology companies. She acts as policy advisor to several organizations mainly in healthcare and is the independent chair of the public interest committee of KPMG Ireland.  

Mary Harney is a former Chancellor of the University of Limerick and is Chair of the Amber Research Centre in Trinity College Dublin.