Joe O'Reilly | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Leas-Chathaoirleach ofSeanad Éireann | |
| In office 22 August 2020 – 16 December 2022 | |
| Cathaoirleach | Mark Daly |
| Preceded by | Jerry Buttimer |
| Succeeded by | Mark Daly |
| Senator | |
| Assumed office 8 June 2016 | |
| Constituency | Labour Panel |
| In office 13 September 2007 – 25 February 2011 | |
| Constituency | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| In office 1 November 1989 – 17 February 1993 | |
| Constituency | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 2011 – February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Cavan–Monaghan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Patrick O'Reilly (1955-04-01)1 April 1955 (age 70) Cootehill,County Cavan, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | joeoreilly |
Joe O'Reilly (born 1 April 1955) is an IrishFine Gael politician has served as asenator for theLabour Panel since April 2016, and previously from 2007 to 2011 for theIndustrial and Commercial Panel and from 1989 to 1992 for theCultural and Educational Panel. He served asLeas-Chathaoirleach ofSeanad Éireann from August 2020 to December 2022. He served as aTeachta Dála (TD) for theCavan–Monaghan constituency from 2011 to 2016.[1]
Born inCootehill,County Cavan, he was educated atSt Patrick's College, Cavan; St. Aidan's Comprehensive School,Cootehill;University College Dublin;Trinity College Dublin;St Patrick's College, Dublin and theDublin Institute of Technology. O'Reilly is a primary school teacher by profession.
In local politics, he was first elected toCavan County Council in 1985 but lost his seat in 1991. He was re-elected at the1999 local elections for theBailieborough local electoral area and again in 2004.
He was a candidate at the2007 general election for theCavan–Monaghan constituency. As a result ofFianna Fáil MinisterRory O'Hanlon serving as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 2002 to 2007, he was guaranteed reelection and therefore the seats were reduced from 5 to 4 in the constituency. He finished with a total of 9550 first preference votes, the highest losing vote in the country in that election.[2] He won a seat in thegeneral election in February 2011.[3] He lost this Dáil seat at the2016 general election.[3]
In European elections, he was an unsuccessful candidate at the2009 European Parliament election, for theNorth-West constituency.
As a Senator, he was first elected in 1989 to the19th Seanad, on theCultural and Educational Panel. He lost his seat at the 1993 Seanad elections and was unsuccessful again at the 1997 Seanad election. He was elected to the23rd Seanad in 2007,[3] serving on theIndustrial and Commercial Panel and as Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. O'Reilly was elected to theLabour Panel of the25th Seanad in April 2016.[4]
He is the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade.
In 2017, Fine Gael announced that they were planning a bill to allow pubs to open onGood Friday, reversing a 90-year-old ban. O'Reilly went against his party's view and said that the tradition was "part of our national identity".[5]
