Page "Ray Burke (Irish politician)" Paragraph 3

After Fianna Fáil's landslide victory at the 1977 general election, Burke was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce.

He supported George Colley for Taoiseach in the Fianna Fáil leadership contest of 1979, but after Colley's opponent Charles Haughey won out, Haughey still retained Burke in his government position.

Burke was subsequently a staunch and vocal defender of Haughey during a number of internal heaves against the latter's leadership of the party.

In October 1980 Burke was promoted to Minister for the Environment, a position he held until June 1981 and again in the short-lived Fianna Fáil government of 1982.

After Fianna Fáil returned to power at the 1987 general election, Burke served as Minister for Energy until 1988, when he was appointed Minister for Industry and Commerce and Communications.