Background
O'KEEFFE, Jim was born on March 31, 1941 in Skibbereen, Company Cork, Ireland. Parents: Maurice O'Keeffe and Ellen O’Keeffe.
O'KEEFFE, Jim was born on March 31, 1941 in Skibbereen, Company Cork, Ireland. Parents: Maurice O'Keeffe and Ellen O’Keeffe.
He was educated at St. Fachtna's High School, Skibbereen. University College Cork. University College Dublin and the Incorporated Law School of the Incorporated Law Society.
Member, Irish Council, European Movement, since 1973. Member, Skibbereen Urban District Council, 197479. Member, Baltimore Harbour Commission, 1974-1979.
Member of the Dâil, since 1977. Spokesman on Law Reform, 1977-1979, Foreign Affairs, 1979-1980, Security, 1980-1981. Chairman, Dâil Consolidation Committee, 1977- SI.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, 1981-1982. Spokesman on Health, 1982. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, 1982-1986.
Minister of State for Finance and the Public Service, 1986-1987. Spokesman on Agriculture, 1987-1988, Social Welfare, 1988-1989, Justice, 1989-1991. Foreign and European Affairs, since 1991.
Principal partner, Wolfe and Company, until 1979. Founder President, Skibbereen Junior Chamber, 1967.
Roman Catholic
O'Keeffe was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1977 general election as a Fine Gael TD for Cork South–West and retained his seat at each general election until his retirement in 2011. During his political career O'Keeffe served as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State at the Department of Finance and the Public Service. In 1996–97 he was the first chair of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
Clubs: Schull Harbour Boat Club. Baltimore Sailing Club. Kinsale Yacht Club; Bandon and Skibbereen Golf Clubs.
Spouse Maeve O’Keeffe (née O’Sullivan), 1975. Children: seven daughter, one s.