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Dr. Garrett FitzGerald and Ivan Yates on EU membership and the economy.
Dr Garret FitzGerald & Ivan Yates
Dr Garret FitzGerald was the seventh Taoiseach of Ireland.
He was born 9 February 1926, his father being Desmond FitzGerald who was Minister for External Affairs from 1922 to 1927 in the government of WT Cosgrave. He worked in Aer Lingus (1947-1958), becoming an authority on the economics of transport. He was a lecturer in economics at UCD (1959-1973). Dr FitzGerald served as a Fine Gael senator from 1965 until his election as a member of Dáil Éireann in 1969. When the coalition of Fine Gael and Labour took office in March 1973, Liam Cosgrave, as Taoiseach, appointed Garret FitzGerald Minister for Foreign Affairs. When the government fell in 1977 FitzGerald succeeded Cosgrave as leader of Fine Gael. He subsequently headed two coalition governments, from July 1981 to February 1982, and from December 1982 to June 1987.
During his period as Taoiseach the Anglo-Irish Agreement was concluded (15 Nov 1985), which gave Ireland a consultative role in the governing of Northern Ireland and became the basis for developing trust and common action between the governments. For more information click here
Dr Fitzgerald retired from politics in 1992.
Ivan Yates is a businessman and former senior politician.
He was elected as a Fine Gael TD representing the Wexford constituency at the 1981 general election and at each election until his retirement from politics in 2002.
He served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry from 1994–1997. His term as Minister included the BSE crisis and the EU presidency.
He is the chairman and managing director of Celtic Bookmakers, an Irish chain of betting shops. He has recently taken over as co-host of the Breakfast Show on Newstalk 106-108fm.