Jim O'Callaghan

Jim O'Callaghan (born 5 January 1968) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay South constituency since 2016.[1][2]

Jim O'Callaghan

TD
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyDublin Bay South
Personal details
Born
James O'Callaghan

(1968-01-05) 5 January 1968
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
Spouse(s)Julie Liston (m. 1997)
RelationsMiriam O'Callaghan (sister)
Children1
Alma mater

He was a member of Dublin City Council from 2009 to 2016. He unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for Fianna Fáil in the 2007 general election in Dublin South-East.[3] O'Callaghan practises as a barrister and is a senior counsel.[4]

Parliamentary career

He was on the Fianna Fáil negotiating team in talks on government formation in 2016.[5] Early on 9 April 2016, O'Callaghan's home hosted a covert meeting between O'Callaghan, Leo Varadkar, Deirdre Gillane (chief adviser of Micheál Martin) and Andrew McDowell (a policy adviser of Enda Kenny). It lasted for more than an hour.[6]

On 19 May 2016, he was appointed as Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Justice and Equality, by party leader Micheál Martin TD. As the Opposition Spokesperson for Justice and Equality, he drafted and secured cross-party support his Parole Bill which was passed by the Oireachtas and became an Act.[7] It comprehensively reforms the system of parole giving victims of crime and their families the right to be heard during the parole process. The Oireachtas also passed his proposals to expand the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau into law.

In November 2016, O'Callaghan met with some of those who had been sexually abused as boys by Bill Kenneally, Fianna Fáil tallyman and cousin of former Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally.[8][9] Brendan Kenneally had previously acknowledged that he had been aware of his cousin's crimes before his sentencing to 14 years imprisonment.[8] The issue re-emerged when Fianna Fáil candidate Mary Butler had Kenneally involved in canvassing for her ahead of the 2016 general election, at which she was first elected to Dáil Éireann.[9] Those who met with O'Callaghan in 2016 said in 2020 that "there has been no help for us since", when the issue emerged once more after Kenneally canvassed for Butler ahead of the 2020 general election, visited the homes of some of those who had been abused and was reported to be renting Butler's constituency office to her.[9]

O'Callaghan declined the position of Minister of State at the Department of Justice in the Government of the 33rd Dáil offered to him by Taoiseach Micheál Martin Martin, stating that he wished to remain on the backbenches, providing a voice in Fianna Fáil outside of government, while also making the party more attractive to younger voters.[10]

O'Callaghan has a BCL degree from University College Dublin, a Masters in Law and an M.Phil in criminology from Sidney Sussex College, at Cambridge University, and a barrister-at-law degree from the King's Inns. In 2000, he represented Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in defamation proceedings against a businessman, appearing with future Attorneys General Rory Brady and Paul Gallagher.[11] A barrister, he was made a senior counsel in 2008. O'Callaghan also served as a legal adviser to Fianna Fáil from January 2011 to his election to the Dáil. In 2014, he co-edited a book titled, Law and Government: A Tribute to Rory Brady.[12] O'Callaghan had devilled for Brady, who was later appointed Attorney General of Ireland.[13] O'Callaghan has represented many high-profile clients in defamation cases, including Louis Walsh, Julia Kushnir, Gerry Kelly, Ivan Yates, Jim Higgins, Denis O'Brien, Justin Timberlake, Rosanna Davison and Tulisa Contostavlos. He has also appeared in two of Ireland's largest commercial court disputes: Fyffes v DCC and Menolly Homes v Irish Asphalt Limited.

Personal life

He played rugby at a senior level, representing UCD, Cambridge University, London Irish, Wanderers, Leinster and Connacht. He was also capped for Ireland at under-21 level. He is a frequent cyclist, regularly cycling to Leinster House and advocates for the expansion of cycling infrastructure in Dublin.

He has four sisters,[14] one of whom is the Irish broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan.[4]

References
  1. "Jim O'Callaghan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  2. "Election 2016: Jim O'Callaghan". RTÉ News. 28 February 2016.
  3. "Jim O'Callaghan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  4. "Miriam O'Callaghan: In her prime". Sunday Independent. 20 June 2010.
  5. McGee, Harry (12 March 2016). "Fianna Fáil's negotiating team for government talks revealed". The Irish Times.
  6. "FG and FF agree minority government the only show in town". The Irish Times. 11 April 2016.
  7. News, Irish Legal. "Bill to create independent statutory Parole Board approved by Oireachtas". Irish Legal News.
  8. Tiernan, Damien (25 September 2016). "Former TD 'was told cousin abused boys but he said nothing'". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  9. Parker, Christy (26 February 2020). "Mary Butler apologises for 'huge error of judgment'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  10. Bray, Jennifer; Kelly, Fiach; Leahy, Pat. "Full line up of junior ministers unveiled as Taoiseach accused by one TD of snub". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  11. "Judge lets Ahern libel case proceed". The Irish Times. 12 December 2000. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  12. "Former Attorney General Brady was an 'incalculable loss'". Independent.
  13. "Former Attorney General's funeral takes place". July 22, 2010 – via www.rte.ie. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. "Jim O'Callaghan on growing up with five strong women - 'The house was dominated by feminism to a certain extent'". Independent.
Oireachtas
New constituency Teachta Dála for Dublin Bay South
2016–present
With: Eoghan Murphy
Kate O'Connell
Eamon Ryan		 Incumbent
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