Dara Calleary

Dara Calleary (born 10 May 1973) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo constituency since 2007. He previously served as Minister of State for Labour Affairs from 2009 to 2011.[1] He has been the Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil since March 2018.

Dara Calleary

TD
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Assumed office
15 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded byMicheál Martin (acting)
Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil
Assumed office
29 March 2018
LeaderMicheál Martin
Preceded byÉamon Ó Cuív (2012)
Government Chief Whip
In office
27 June 2020 – 15 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded bySeán Kyne
Succeeded byJack Chambers
Minister of State
for Gaeltacht Affairs and Sport
In office
1 July 2020 – 15 July 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
Preceded bySeán Kyne
Succeeded byJack Chambers
Minister of State for Labour Affairs
In office
22 April 2009 – 9 March 2011
TaoiseachBrian Cowen
Preceded byBilly Kelleher
Succeeded byGed Nash
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
May 2007
ConstituencyMayo
Personal details
Born (1973-05-10) 10 May 1973
Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
Spouse(s)Siobhán Greavy (m. 2012)
Relations
Alma materTrinity College Dublin

Early life

Calleary was born in Ballina, County Mayo in 1973. He was educated at St Oliver Plunkett National School and St Muredach's College. He later studied at Trinity College Dublin. He previously worked with Chambers Ireland, the largest business organisation in Ireland, and also worked in an Irish bank.

Calleary is the son of Seán Calleary who was a TD for Mayo East from 1973 to 1992, and the grandson of Phelim Calleary who was a TD for Mayo North from 1952 to 1969.

Political career

Calleary has been a member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive since 1997 and has served on party policy committees on Transport, Enterprise and Employment, Agriculture and Youth Affairs.

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election.[2] In February 2008, Calleary was appointed Chairman of Ógra Fianna Fáil, by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, at the National Youth Conference in Tullamore, County Offaly. In 2007, Calleary chaired the first ever Ógra Fianna Fáil branch meeting in Northern Ireland, at Queen's University Belfast.

On 22 April 2009, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, with special responsibility for Labour Affairs. On 23 March 2010, following a cabinet reshuffle, responsibility for Public Service Transformation was added to Calleary's role.[3]

In the Fianna Fáil Front Bench he has served as Opposition Spokesperson for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation from 2011 to 2016 and Opposition Spokesperson for Public Expenditure and Reform from 2016 to 2018.

He was appointed Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil in March 2018, by party leader Micheál Martin.[4]

Following the 2020 Irish general election, Calleary served as Fianna Fáil's chief negotiator as the party worked on a deal with Fine Gael and the Green Party to enter into government as a coalition.[5]

On 27 June 2020, the newly formed Government was announced, and the lack of any representative from the west of Ireland was heavily criticised by some.[6][7][8] An article by the Mayo based Western People declared it "a cabinet fit for Cromwell".[9] Absent from the line up was Calleary, despite his role as Deputy leader of Fianna Fáil and chief negotiator for Fianna Fáil. Calleary was, however, offered a junior position as Chief Whip by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. While Calleary accepted the role, he publicly acknowledged that he was "angry and disappointed" not to have been offered a departmental portfolio and said that he still saw himself eventually leading a department.[10]

On 15 July 2020, following the dismissal of Barry Cowen from the position, he was appointed as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine by Micheál Martin.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Dara Calleary". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
  2. "Dara Calleary". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
  3. "Killeen, Carey promoted to Cabinet". RTÉ News. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  4. Bardon, Sarah (29 March 2018). "Fianna Fáil reshuffle: Dara Calleary appointed deputy leader". Irish Times. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  5. "Formal talks on programme for government begin". RTÉ News. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  6. "Criticism over lack of west-based Cabinet members in new Government". RTÉ News. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  7. Quann, Jack. "'Huge anger, huge annoyance' over no minister from the west". Newstalk. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  8. "Strong Dàil criticism over new Cabinet's absence of representation from western region". Connaught Telegraph. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  9. Laffey, James (29 June 2020). "A Cabinet fit for Cromwell". Western People. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  10. Clarke, Vivienne (29 June 2020). "Dara Calleary 'angry and disappointed' at not making Minister". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  11. "Calleary replaces Cowen as Minister for Agriculture". RTÉ News. 15 July 2020.
Oireachtas
Preceded by
John Carty
(Fianna Fáil)		 Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Mayo
2007–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Billy Kelleher		 Minister of State for Labour Affairs and Public Service Transformation
2009–2011		 Succeeded by
Office abolished
Preceded by
Seán Kyne		 Government Chief Whip
2020		 Succeeded by
Jack Chambers
Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Sport
2020
Preceded by
Micheál Martin (acting)		 Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
2020–present		 Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.