Tom Kitt

Tom Kitt ( _ga. Tomás Ó Ceit; born 11 July 1952), is a senior Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin South since 1987 and served as Government Chief Whip from 2004–08.

Tom Kitt was born in Galway and educated at St. Jarlath's College, Tuam and St Patrick's College of Education, Dublin. Kitt worked as a teacher before becoming involved in local politics as a member of Dublin City Council in 1979. He was elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1987 general election as a Fianna Fáil TD. He has been elected at all five elections since then. In 1992 Kitt was appointed Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility for Arts, Culture & Women's Affairs. The following year in 1993 he became Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Under Bertie Ahern he became Fianna Fáil spokesman on Labour Affairs in 1995. In 1997 Fianna Fáil returned to power and Kitt became Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment. In 2002 he was appointed to the Department of Foreign Affairs as Minister of State with responsibility for Overseas Development and Human Rights. Following the Cabinet reshuffle in 2004 Kitt became Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Defence, effectively Government Chief Whip.

As well as being involved in politics, Kitt has ran several marathons. He completed the Dublin city marathon on five occasions as well as the Berlin Marathon (1991), the Belfast Marathon (1996) and the 100th Boston Marathon in 1996. Tom Kitt comes from a family with a strong political background. He is a son of Michael Kitt, Snr, TD for various Galway constituencies (1948–1951 & 1957–1975), and a brother of TD Michael P. Kitt a Minister of State with special responsibility for Overseas Development and Human Rights. His sister, Áine Brady, was unsuccessful in her attempt to get elected to the Dáil in the Kildare North by-election in 2005, however was successful in the May 2007 election. Áine Brady is married to Gerard Brady, a former TD. Tom Kitt's sons David and Thomas Patrick are musicians.

In May 2008 when Brian Cowen was elected as Taoiseach, he was not re-appointed as government chief whip. He was the only serving minister under Bertie Ahern to be sacked.cite web
url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0508/fiannafail.html
title=FF's Kitt to step down at next election
date=2008-05-08
accessdate=2008-05-09
publisher=RTÉ News]

ee also

*Families in the Oireachtas

References

External links

* [http://www.tomkitt.ie/ Official website]

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