Former Justice Minister Séan Doherty dies

The former Minister for Justice and Fianna Fáil TD Séan Doherty has died in a Donegal hospital following a brain haemorrhage.

Mr Doherty, 60, was on holiday with his wife and family members over the weekend when he was taken ill. He was admitted to Letterkenny General Hospital on Saturday and was later put on a life-support machine.

Séan Doherty was first elected to the Dáil in Fianna Fáil’s avalanche win of 1977.

He was an ardent supporter of Charlie Haughey and when Haughey became Taoiseach two years later he appointed Mr Doherty as a Junior Minister. He was made Minister for Justice in 1982 and was soon embroiled in controversy when it emerged that he had ordered the tapping of the phones of journalists Geraldine Kennedy, Bruce Arnold and Vincent Browne.

Ten years later Mr Doherty revealed that Charles Haughey had approved the tapping and this in turn led to his resignation, paving the way for Albert Reynolds to become Taoiseach.

Although Mr Doherty lost his Dáil seat in 1989, he regained it in 1992.

He retired 10 years later.