Political groups

1999-2009: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats

National parties

1999-2009: Fine Gael Party

Biography

Avril Doyle was born in Dublin, Ireland. She received a BSc in Biochemistry from University College Dublin. In 1974, aged 25, she was elected to Wexford County Council and to the Wexford Corporation and she was Mayor of Wexford town from 1975 to 1976.

She was first elected a Teachta Dála (English: MP) for the Wexford constituency as a member of Fine Gael in 1982. Doyle was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 1989 to 1992 and 1997 to 2002. She served Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Environmental Protection from 1986 to 1987 and as Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach from 1995 to 1997. 

Doyle was elected to the European Parliament in 1999. She served as a MEP from 1999 to 2004 and 2004 to 2009. She would spend 10 years as an MEP in the European People's Party's group as Leader of the Irish Delegation. In that time, she was a member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety from 1999 to 2009; a member of the Agriculture and Food Committee from 1999 to 2004 and a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy from 2004 to 2009. 

Avril Doyle speaks at a press conference in Strasbourg – A Strong climate change package will be good for business and the economy. Pictured: Richard Burret, Avril Doyle, Satu Hassi, Chris Davies © European Union 2008 – European Parliament

Doyle worked on the Veterinary Medicines Directive and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLS). She also worked on the Cross Border Directive (Health). She is a member of the Institute for International and European Affairs (IIEA), the Royal Dublin Society (RDS), an honorary associate member of the British Veterinary Association and a former President of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland.

Avril joined FIPRA International as a Special Advisor for Energy, Environment, Healthcare and Agriculture in October 2017.

For more information on her time as an MEP, click here.

What's in the Archives

Most of the files in the lead concern parliamentary work related to the topic of climate change, as Doyle was a member of the Environment Committee and the Temporary Committee on Climate Change in the 6th parliamentary term 2004-2009. Reference should be made to the documents of the meetings, thematic sessions and the visit to Washington in 2008 in the framework of the Temporary Commission on Climate Change. Similarly, the files highlight the work of the Member in drawing up the report 406/2008 on the greenhouse gas emission trading scheme, including meetings, meetings with interest groups, positions of the sectors concerned and the views of experts. Other less important files relate to the preparation of the 1999 European elections.