Justin Keating

Justin Keating (Irish: Saorbhreathach Céitinn; born January 7, 1930) was a senior Irish Labour Party politician. Born in Dublin in 1930, Keating was educated at Sandford Park School, and then at University College Dublin and the University of London. He became a lecturer in anatomy at UCD’s veterinary college from 1955 until 1960 and was senior lecturer at Trinity College Dublin from 1960 until 1965. He was RTÉ's head of agricultural programmes for two years before returning to Trinity in 1967. While at RTÉ, he scripted and presented Telefís Feirme, a series for the agricultural community, for which he won a Jacob's Award in 1966. Keating was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1969 as a Labour Party TD for Dublin County North. He served in the Irish Government under Liam Cosgrave as Minister for Industry & Commerce between 1973 and 1977. In 1973 he was appointed a Member of the European Parliament from the Oireachtas, serving on the short-lived first delegation. He retained his Dáil seat until 1977 when he failed to be elected, but was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann, serving there until 1980. Published an op-ed about Israel and Zionism in "The Dubliner" Magazine in November 2005. He is currently President of the Humanist Association of Ireland.