Mary Banotti


Mary Elizabeth Banotti is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency from 1984 to 2004.

Early life and education

Banotti was born in Malahide, Dublin in 1939. She is a sister of the former Minister Nora Owen and a grand-niece of the Irish political leader Michael Collins.

Career

Following her education she worked as a nurse in North America, Europe and Africa, before joining Irish Distillers as an occupational health nurse and Industrial Welfare Officer in 1972. She is divorced for many years from her Italian husband.
Between 1980 and 1984, she presented a weekly programme on social welfare rights and information on RTÉ television. Banotti unsuccessfully contested the Seanad elections of 1983 and the Dublin Central by-election the same year.

Politics

In 1984, she was elected to the European Parliament, representing the Dublin constituency. She retained her seat until her retirement at the 2004 European elections. She was Fine Gael's candidate in the 1997 presidential election, coming second to Fianna Fáil's Mary McAleese. In 1999, she also was the UNFPA's Goodwill Ambassador on reproductive health.

Philanthropy

Banotti is a member and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, a global nonprofit organization that combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child abduction.
She is also currently the Honorary President of Health First Europe, and a member of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems' board.