Séamus Pattison

Séamus Pattison (born 19 April 1936) is a former Irish Labour Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1961 to 2007 and was Ceann Comhairle (Chairman) of Dáil Éireann from 1997 to 2002.

He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1936. His father was Labour Party TD James Pattison, who represented Carlow–Kilkenny from 1933 to 1957. After his education the young Pattison became a full-time trade union official, serving with the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU). He unsuccessfully contested the Carlow–Kilkenny by-election in June 1960 but was elected at the 1961 general election to the 17th Dáil and held the seat at eleven further general elections.

Pattison served as Mayor of Kilkenny on three occasions; 1967, 1976 and 1992. In 1981 he became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Leinster to replace Liam Kavanagh who became Minister for Labour following the 1981 general election. Pattison resigned as an MEP in 1983 when he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare.

He was unanimously elected Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann on 26 June 1997, serving for the entire 28th Dáil. When the 29th Dáil assembled after the 2002 general election he was replaced by Rory O'Hanlon, but was appointed as Leas-Cheann Comhairle (Deputy Chairman) for the 29th Dáil.

He was also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

In September 2005 he announced he would retire at the 2007 general election, and his nephew Eoin Pattison unsuccessfully sought the nomination. Labour county councillor Michael O'Brien was selected in February 2006 to contest the seat but was unsuccessful.

When Pattison retired from politics at the 2007 general election, he had served in Dáil Éireann for 45 years and 7 months, making him the 5th longest serving TD ever and the longest ever serving Labour Party TD. He was the longest serving sitting TD from 1995 to 2007 and had the informal title of Father of the Dáil.