Terry Leyden | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senator | |
| In office 12 September 2002 – 29 June 2020 | |
| Constituency | Labour Panel |
| In office 3 December 1992 – 17 February 1993 | |
| Constituency | Nominated by the Taoiseach |
| Minister of State | |
| 1989–1992 | Industry and Commerce |
| 1987–1989 | Health |
| Mar.–Dec. 1982 | Transport |
| Mar.–Dec. 1982 | Posts and Telegraphs |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office June 1981 – November 1992 | |
| Constituency | Roscommon |
| In office June 1977 – June 1981 | |
| Constituency | Roscommon–Leitrim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1945-10-01)1 October 1945 (age 80) Roscommon,County Roscommon, Ireland |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University College Galway |
| Website | terryleyden |
Terry Leyden (born 1 October 1945) is an Irish formerFianna Fáil politician who served as aSenator (elected on theLabour Panel) from September 2002 to March 2020, and previously during December 1992 (after beingnominated by the Taoiseach). He served as aTeachta Dála (TD) from 1977 to 1992, and as aMinister of State from March to December 1982, and from 1987 to 1992.[1]
He was elected toRoscommon County Council in 1974, and re-elected in 1979 and 1985. Leyden was elected toDáil Éireann at his first attempt, in the1977 general election, when he was returned to the21st Dáil as a TD for theRoscommon–Leitrim constituency. He was returned for the newRoscommon constituency at the1981 general election, and re-elected a further four times before losing his seat at the1992 general election in the newLongford–Roscommon constituency.
From March to December 1982, he served asMinister of State at the Department of Transport andMinister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs.[2] He then served asMinister of State at the Department of Health from 1987 to 1989,[3] and asMinister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce from 1989 to 1992.[4]
Following his Dáil defeat he sat very briefly in the19th Seanad, having beennominated by the TaoiseachAlbert Reynolds on 3 December 1992. After the 19th Seanad last sat on 17 December 1992 he stood unsuccessfully in the 1993 election toSeanad Éireann on theAdministrative Panel, and was unsuccessful again in 1997 when seeking election on theIndustrial and Commercial Panel.
Leyden was re-elected to Roscommon County Council in 1999, a position that he held until the ending of thedual mandate in 2003 – because by that time he was also a Senator.[5] Leyden was also a member of theWestern Health Board from 1992 to 2002, and was chairman from 2001 to 2002.
He was elected to the22nd Seanad on theLabour Panel in September 2002 and re-elected in 2007, 2011 and 2016. He was the Fianna Fáil Seanad spokesperson on Children and European Affairs.
In May 2010, he invokedParliamentary privilege and accusedThe Irish Times columnistFintan O'Toole of incitement to riot, which O'Toole denied. This came about as a result of the latter's addressing of a demonstration against the bank bailouts proposed by the government, which later turned violent.[6]
In July 2013, he claimed thatAdolf Hitler andBenito Mussolini were "good Christians" while speaking in the Seanad.[7][8] On realising the absurd nature of his comments, he apologised to the chair and admitted he was distracted.[7]
For many years, between 1992 and 2017, he was a member of the Irish delegation to theParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, headquartered in Strasbourg.[1]
He was a member of theRoyal Institute of the Architects of Ireland by virtue of inclusion on the "Minister's List".[9] Prior to his inclusion on the RIAI register he was a member of the Irish Architects Society, the majority of whose members did not have formal qualifications for entry on the architect's register.[1]
He was the Fianna Fáil Seanad spokesperson on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources. He retired from politics at the2020 Seanad election.
In June 2024, he was appointed as an Honorary Consul for the Republic of Azerbaijan.[2]