Dara Calleary

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

Dara Calleary TD
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
In office 15 July 2020 – 21 August 2020
Taoiseach	Micheál Martin
Preceded by	Micheál Martin (acting)
Succeeded by	Micheál Martin (acting)
Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil
In office 29 March 2018 – 23 August 2020
Leader	Micheál Martin
Preceded by	Éamon Ó Cuív (2012)
Succeeded by	Vacant
Government Chief Whip
In office 27 June 2020 – 15 July 2020
Taoiseach	Micheál Martin
Preceded by	Seán Kyne
Succeeded by	Jack Chambers
Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Sport
In office 1 July 2020 – 15 July 2020
Taoiseach	Micheál Martin
Preceded by	Seán Kyne
Succeeded by	Jack Chambers
Minister of State for Labour Affairs
In office 22 April 2009 – 9 March 2011
Taoiseach	Brian Cowen
Preceded by	Billy Kelleher
Succeeded by	Ged Nash (2014)
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office May 2007
Constituency	Mayo
Personal details
Born	10 May 1973 Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Spouse(s)	Siobhán Greavy (m. 2012)
Relations	Seán Calleary (Father) Phelim Calleary (Grandfather)
Alma mater	Trinity 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 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 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] Although Calleary was deputy leader of Fianna Fáil and chief negotiator for Fianna Fáil, he was not appointed to cabinet by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. He was appointed as a Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility as Chief Whip. An article by the Mayo-based Western People declared it "a cabinet fit for Cromwell".[9] 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 sacking of Barry Cowen from the position, he was appointed as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine by Micheál Martin.[11]

On 20 August 2020, Calleary became the centre of the Oireachtas Golf Society scandal when news broke that Calleary and 81 others attended an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner the previous day, in breach of Government COVID-19 guidelines.[12] He resigned as Agriculture Minister the following morning.[13][14][15] Calleary stated to Mid West Radio that "I made a big mistake. I shouldn’t have gone to the function. I didn’t want to let people down and I take responsibility for that mistake".[16] Michael Clifford and Paul Hosford (who broke the story on the Oireachtas Golf Society Scandal alongside Aoife Moore) of the Irish Examiner suggested that the scandal had "left [Calleary's] political career in tatters" and had deeply rocked the Martin Cabinet.[17][18] Three days later on 24 August 2020, he also resigned as Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil.[19]

See also

• Families in the Oireachtas

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.
12. Moore, Aoife (20 August 2020). "Minister and 80 people at golf event in breach of health guidelines". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
13. "Dara Calleary resigns from Cabinet over Clifden event". RTÉ News. 21 August 2020.
14. "Dara Calleary has resigned as Agriculture Minister following golf dinner controversy". Journal. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
15. "Hogan says he 'complied fully' with quarantine requirements". Retrieved 2020-08-21.
16. "Government plunged into turmoil as public anger grows in wake of golf dinner controversy". Journal.ie. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
17. Clifford, Michael (21 August 2020). "Golfgate the latest in a string of disasters that has beset Martin's reign as Taoiseach". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
18. Hosford, Paul (21 August 2020). "Dara Calleary's career in tatters as he becomes second Agriculture Minister to quit in five weeks". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
19. "Dara Calleary resigns as deputy leader of Fianna Fáíl". Irish Examiner. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.

External links

• Media related to Dara Calleary at Wikimedia Commons
• Dara Calleary's page on the Fianna Fáil website