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Ms Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has been the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science since 2010.

Between 2000 and 2010, she served as a Member of the European Court of Auditors. From 1975 to 1997, she was a Member of the Irish parliament (Dáil Eireann). In 1979, she became the first woman to be appointed as a Cabinet Minister since the foundation of the Irish state, and served as Minister with responsibility for the Gaeltacht until 1981.

She has held various other ministerial posts, including Minister for European Union Affairs from 1987 to 1991, when she oversaw the preparation of the Irish presidency of the European Union in 1990; Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications (1992-’93).

She was the Irish Minister for Justice (1993-’94) and one of the negotiators of the Downing Street Declaration, which was signed between the Irish and British governments. From 1997 to 2000, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn served as Non-Executive Director of both Aer Lingus and the Ryan Hotel Group.

She has been a TV presenter and a columnist in the Irish Times newspaper, and is a former Member of the Governing Authority of the National University of Ireland Galway.