Joan Burton

Joan Burton (born 1949) is an Irish Labour Party politician. She is a TD for Dublin West and is currently the Labour Party Spokesperson for Finance.

Joan Burton was educated at St Joseph Sisters of Charity Secondary School and University College Dublin where she graduated with a degree in Commerce. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. She is a former lecturer at Dublin Institute of Technology and the University of Dar Es Salaam Tanzania. Burton is currently a TD for Dublin West. She first became involved in politics in 1991 when she was elected to Dublin County Council. Burton was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1992. On that occasion the Labour Party won a record 33 seats, an achievement that has never been equalled. Following that election she was appointed Minister of State for Social Welfare. In 1995 she became Minister of State for Justice, a position she held until 1997. She lost her seat in the 1997 General Election but was re-elected again in 2002. She was then appointed the Spokesperson on Finance.