Mr Brian Lenihan was appointed Ireland's Finance Minister on 7 May 2008, succeeding Mr Brian Cowen. At the same time he became the EIB Governor for Ireland.
Mr Lenihan was elected to the "Dáil" (Lower House of the Irish Parliament) for the first time in 1996 in a by-election held in the Dublin West constituency following the death of his father. He was re-elected in 1997 and became chairman of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, a position he held until 2002. That year, Mr Lenihan was appointed Minister of State with special responsibility for children and held this position until 2005. Mr Lenihan was also Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from June 2007 to May 2008.
Born on 21 May 1959 in Dublin, Mr Lenihan holds a degree in Law from the University of Cambridge.