In recognition of her outstanding achievements as a member of the EU Commission and her contributions to the Agri-Food sector in Ireland and the European Union, Mairead McGuinness, EU Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets, was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.
An Irish household name before entering European politics as an MEP in 2004, Ms McGuinness worked as a journalist, broadcaster and commentator.
She joined RTÉ as a radio producer after graduating from UCD with a degree in Agricultural Economics, and later worked as a researcher on the Late Late Show with famed Irish broadcaster and presenter Gay Byrne.
She became known for presenting high-profile farm radio news programmes and television shows such as Landmark and Ear to the Ground, and working on a range of consumer affairs programmes.
A newcomer to politics, her career in Europe started when she topped the polls in 2004 and was elected on the first count. Ms McGuinness was subsequently re-elected in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Among her many roles in the European Parliament, she was a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
In 2014, she was elected a Vice-President of the European Parliament and in 2017, was elected First Vice-President of the Parliament with almost 90% of the Parliament’s membership vote - evidence of the high esteem in which she was held by her peers, according (opens in a new window)Professor Frank Monahan, Head of the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, reading her official citation.
In 2020, she was appointed to her current position as EU Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union by Commission President Ursula van der Leyen.
Her appointment was endorsed by all the major political groupings in the European Parliament – again a tribute to her recognition as a formidable European politician.
As Commissioner she oversees the EU’s financial sector, has led the EU’s strategy on sustainable finance, and has worked on enhancing the Capital Markets Union to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises.
