Liam Aylward

Liam Aylward (born 27 September 1952) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister of State for Animal Health, Welfare and Customer Service from 2002 to 2004, Minister of State for Education from 1992 to 1994 and Minister of State at the Department of Energy from 1988 to 1992. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East constituency from 2004 to 2014. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1977 to 2007.[1]

Liam Aylward
Minister of State for Animal Health, Welfare and Customer Service
In office
19 June 2002 – 24 May 2004
TaoiseachBertie Ahern
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Minister of State for Education
In office
13 February 1992 – 15 December 1994
TaoiseachAlbert Reynolds
Preceded byFrank Fahey
Succeeded byBernard Allen
Minister of State at the Department of Energy
In office
25 November 1988 – 13 February 1992
TaoiseachCharles Haughey
Preceded byMichael Smith
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Member of the European Parliament
In office
1 July 2004 – 24 May 2014
ConstituencyEast
Teachta Dála
In office
June 1977 – May 2007
ConstituencyCarlow–Kilkenny
Personal details
Born (1952-09-27) 27 September 1952
Mullinavat, County Kilkenny, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
Relations
EducationSt Kieran's College

Aylward was born in Mullinavat, County Kilkenny in 1952. He was educated at St Kieran's College, Kilkenny. He worked as a laboratory technician before getting involved in politics. He was elected to Kilkenny County Council in 1974, and served on that authority until 1992.

Aylward was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency at the 1977 general election in what proved to be a landslide for Fianna Fáil.[2] After this he served as Minister of State at the Department of Energy (1988–1989), the Department of Education (1992–1994) and the Department of Agriculture and Food (2002–2004). In 1998, Aylward was the subject of a complaint to Oireachtas authorities for groping a female usher in the Dáil bar, for which he apologised.[3] In June 2004 he was elected to the European Parliament for the East constituency for Fianna Fáil, which was then part of the Union for a Europe of Nations.

After the 2009 European Parliament election Fianna Fáil became affiliated with ALDE. Aylward became a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the delegation for relations with Mercosur, and the delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly. He also became a substitute member of the Committee on Culture and Education and the delegation to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Owing to the dual mandate legislation that forbids members of the European Parliament from seeking re-election as members of their national legislatures, he retired from national politics at the 2007 general election. He was succeeded as a Fianna Fáil TD by his brother Bobby Aylward. They are sons of Bob Aylward, who served as a Fianna Fáil Senator from 1973 to 1974.

Aylward has opted not to receive a ministerial pension, but still receives annual pension payments of around €50,000 from his time as a TD.[4]

He retired from politics at the 2014 European Parliament election.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Liam Aylward". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  2. "Liam Aylward". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  3. O'Connell, Hugh (1 February 2016). "9 times when Irish politics has been really sexist". TheJournal.ie.
  4. Kelly, Fiach (10 November 2011). "Thanks big fellas: Ahern and Cowen get massive pensions". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  5. "Liam Aylward to retire undefeated". Kilkenny People. 19 November 2013.
Oireachtas
Preceded by
Desmond Governey
(Fine Gael)		 Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Carlow–Kilkenny
1977–2007		 Succeeded by
Bobby Aylward
(Fianna Fáil)
Political offices
New office Minister of State for Animal Health and Welfare and Customer Service
2002–2004		 Succeeded by
Office abolished
European Parliament
Preceded by
Jim Fitzsimons		 Member of the European Parliament for East
2004–2014		 Succeeded by
Constituency abolished
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