Constituency Kildare South Children 4 Spouse Mary Clare Meaney Political party Fianna Fail Role Teachta Dala | Nationality Irish Name Sean Fearghail Constituency Agricultural Panel Website www.seanofearghail.ie Party Fianna Fail | |
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Born 17 April 1960 (age 63)
County Kildare, Ireland ( 1960-04-17 ) Office Member of Dail Eireann since 2002 | ||
Leaders questions sean o fearghail td
Seán Ó Fearghaíl ([ˈʃaːnʲ oː ˈfʲaɾˠɣiːlʲ]; born 17 April 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann since March 2016. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare South constituency since 2002.
Contents
- Leaders questions sean o fearghail td
- Housing and homelessness sean o fearghail td
- Life and career
- References
Housing and homelessness sean o fearghail td
Life and career
Ó Fearghaíl comes from a farming background and previously worked for Dublin Corporation. Ó Fearghaíl first stood for election to elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1987 general election, but was unsuccessful. He was unsuccessful again at the 1989 general election, but was elected as a member of Kildare County Council in 1985.
After further defeats at the 1992 and 1997 general elections, he stood for Seanad Éireann on the Agricultural Panel in 1997. He was defeated, but won a seat in the 21st Seanad at a by-election held in June 2000 after the death of Patrick McGowan.
Ó Fearghaíl won a Dáil seat on his fifth attempt, at the 2002 general election, when he defeated the sitting Fine Gael TD (and former leader) Alan Dukes. At the 2007 general election he topped he poll and was elected on the first count. He was re-elected at the 2011 general election and at the 2016 general election.
He was the Fianna Fáil party whip and spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade from April 2011 to July 2012. In July 2012, he was appointed as party spokesperson on Constitutional Reform, Arts and Culture, and Defence, while retaining the post of party whip. Ó Fearghaíl sent Éamon Ó Cuív a letter gagging him during the European Fiscal Compact referendum campaign after Ó Cuív spoke out of turn and expressed his own opinion against the party's wishes.
He was elected as Ceann Comhairle of the 32nd Dáil on its first day of sitting on 10 March 2016. It was the first time the position was filled by secret ballot.