Former Taoiseach John Bruton has died aged 76 following a long illness, his family said in a statement.

The statement on Tuesday morning said: “It is with deep sadness we wish to announce the death of former Taoiseach John Bruton.

“He died peacefully in the Mater Private Hospital in Dublin, surrounded by his loving family, early this morning following a long illness.

“He was a good husband, a good father and a true patriot. We will miss him greatly.

“John is survived by his wife, Finola, son Matthew and daughters; Juliana, Emily and Mary-Elizabeth, grandchildren, sons-in-law, his brother, Richard and sister, Mary, nieces, nephews, many cousins and extended family.”

Bruton was born into a farming family in Dunboyne, Co Meath, and was first elected to the Dáil to represent Meath in 1969.

In 1990, he was elected leader of Fine Gael, a position he held until 2001.

Rainbow coalition

He served as Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997, when he led the rainbow coalition government of Fine Gael, Labour and the Democratic Left.

Bruton held a number of ministerial positions throughout the 1980s, including Minister for Industry, Trade and Commerce from 1983 to 1986, a role which dealt with many agricultural issues.

Bruton resigned from his Dáil seat in 2004 and was appointed EU ambassador to the US shortly after. His brother Richard is a sitting TD for Dublin Bay North.

Tributes

Tributes are being paid by politicians, including Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

Ó Fearghaíl said he was saddened to learn of the former Taoiseach’s passing and on behalf of the houses of the Oireachtas, offered is condolences to Bruton’s family.

“John Bruton gave nearly four decades of dedicated service to the people of Ireland as a member of the Dáil from his first election in 1969 to his retirement in 2004.

“As a TD, minister and ultimately Taoiseach, John brought total commitment to democracy, absolute integrity to politics and dedication to public service. This will be his legacy,” said Ó Fearghaíl.

Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman said Bruton kept a watching brief on farming matters as Taoiseach and ensured Government policy around inheritance was applied equally to farm families.

“Through his farming background, John Bruton displayed a deep insight into farming issues and recognised the importance of the agriculture sector to the economy.

“His contribution to Irish politics will be remembered as having made a difference,” Gorman said.

In recent years, Bruton was a columnist for the Irish Farmers Journal.

He wrote on how a range of different political issues affect farming, from the war in Ukraine to Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol.