Who is Richard Bruton? Former Irish PM John Bruton survived by his politician brother among others after his death at 76

Richard Bruton's brother and former Prime Minister of Ireland, John Bruton, passed away on February 6, 2024, at 76. He was struggling with some unknown illness, which led to his demise, as per ABC News. Further details on his cause of death are currently awaited.

John's family also confirmed the news and said that he was at the Mater Private Hospital at the time of death. John's brother, Richard Bruton, has also been involved with politics for many years, serving as a minister for various departments such as Climate Action and Environment, State for Energy Affairs, and more.

When they heard of John's death, multiple politicians expressed their grief on social media platforms. One was Leo Varadkar, who wrote in a Facebook post that John inspired him to join politics. He added,

"He was always encouraging and supportive on a personal level, from my time in Young Fine Gael to my time as Taoiseach. His knowledge and experience were particularly helpful during Brexit and during coalition negotiations

Leo described John as "a doer and a philosopher" and that he was always against violence. Leo stated that John believed in "individual rights and responsibilities of social justice" and continued,

"He was conservative but always compassionate and caring. He played a crucial role in the Divorce Referendum of 1995 in convincing middle-ground voters to vote Yes in what was a very tight referendum."

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Richard Bruton has served in various positions throughout his political career

Richard Bruton is currently a member of the Dail Eireann where he was elected in 1982. He has been a member of the Dublin City Council. Before his career in politics, he was active as an economist, as per Fine Gael.

He was previously a Senator for the Agricultural Panel between 1981 and 1982. He even served as a minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Education and Skills, Enterprise and Employment, and more. He was also the Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce from 1986 to 1987.

Richard Bruton has written various policy papers about finance, employment, public service, and education. He started the annual Action Plan for Jobs in 2012, leading to over 100,000 vacancies.

Back in September 2023, Richard Bruton announced that he was stepping down from the upcoming General Election and thanked his voters for the support they have shown while he served as TD. According to the Irish Independent, he thanked his friends and family members. He continued,

"I have been so lucky to be given the chance to hold office under four different cabinets and to be part of some major changes in Irish society. Ireland has made huge strides in that time."

Richard additionally stated that anyone interested in serving the public can come forward and participate in the election. He also mentioned that politics can help bring the required changes in society.

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Netizens pay tribute to John Bruton on X

John Bruton was known for serving the public without compromising anything. In 1995, he also launched the Anglo-Irish Framework Document. Netizens took to social media platform X to express their grief,

John's survivors include his wife Finola, alongside a son and three daughters. As mentioned earlier, detailed information on his cause of death is yet to be revealed.