Marian Harkin

Harkin was born in Ballintogher, County Sligo, in 1953. She studied at University College Dublin, where she attained a Bachelor of Science degree in geology. She worked as a maths teacher at Mercy College secondary school in Sligo for 25 years, before entering into politics.^[3]

While living in Manorhamilton, Harkin became active in the voluntary and community sector and developed the view that people living in disadvantaged areas such as Connacht had to rely on their own initiative and energy to progress development of their region. Her work at local level led to her appointment to Developing the West Together, which evolved into the Council for the West, of which Harkin became chairperson.^[4]

She was elected to Dáil Éireann as an Independent TD for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency at the 2002 general election, receiving the highest number of first preference votes in the constituency.^[5]

At the 2004 European Parliament election, she was returned as an MEP for the North-West constituency topping the poll and being elected on the fourth count.^[6] She had previously contested the 1999 European Parliament election in the same constituency (then called Connacht–Ulster), but had narrowly failed to be elected, losing out to Dana Rosemary Scallon for the third seat in the constituency. However, in 2004, the position was reversed and Harkin was returned at Scallon's expense.

Harkin did not contest the 2007 general election to concentrate on her role as an MEP.^[7]

She was a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group (ALDE) in the European Parliament.^[8] Harkin was a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the delegation for relations with the United States. She has been European Democratic Party Vice-president since December 2012. In addition, she served as vice-chairwoman of the European Parliament Intergroup on Integrity (Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime).^[9] She is also a supporter of the MEP Heart Group, a group of parliamentarians who have an interest in promoting measures that will help reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).^[10]

She was re-elected to the European Parliament at the 2009 European Parliament election topping the poll in her constituency. She was again re-elected at the 2014 European Parliament election, taking the fourth seat in the new Midlands–North-West constituency.

On 1 April 2019, she announced that she was not standing for re-election in the 2019 European Parliament election.^[11]

In January 2020, she announced she was standing in the Sligo–Leitrim constituency at the 2020 general election,^[12] where she was elected.

At the 2024 general election, Harkin was re-elected to the Dáil. In February 2025, she was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with special responsibility for further education, apprenticeship, construction and climate skills.

In September 2025, Harkin declared her support for Maria Steen's candidacy in the 2025 Irish presidential election.^[13]