A brief account of Mr Smith's political career.
First elected to the Dáil at the age of 23 in 1969, Mr Michael Smith found out early how fickle the electorate can be. After losing his seat in 1973, he regained it in 1977, but failed to be elected in the two elections of 1982.
Having been returned to the Dáil in 1987, he was sacked as a junior minister in 1989 for supporting a no-confidence motion in then Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey. He was subsequently appointed Minister for the Environment in 1992 in the Albert Reynolds-led government.
He was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment, and at the Department of Education with special responsibility for science and technology in July 1997. He was appointed Minister for Defence in October 1997, but in October 2000 suffered the embarrassment of failing to be selected by the local party to contest the North Tipperary seat. Imposed on the ticket by the Fianna Fail National Executive, Mr Smith was duly re-elected to the Dáil.
As Minister for Defence, Mr Smith has to tackle the expensive Army deafness claims, controversial barrack closures and the White Paper on Defence.