Willie O'Dea
Encyclopedia
Willie O'Dea is an Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician and a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Limerick City
constituency. He served as the Minister for Defence
from September 2004 until 18 February 2010, when he resigned from his post due to controversy over a defamation case.
and raised in Kilteely
, County Limerick
. He was educated at the Patrician Brothers College in Ballyfin
, County Laois
,and University College Dublin
where he studied law. He qualified as a barrister at King's Inns
, Dublin. He has an accountancy qualification from the Institute of Certified Accountants. He worked as both a barrister and as an accountant before embarking on a career in politics. He also spent some time lecturing in the Law faculty in University College Dublin and in the University of Limerick
.
O'Dea is married to Geraldine Kennedy. He writes regularly for the Sunday Independent
and occasionally for other national newspapers.
. He served on that authority until 1992. He first stood for election to Dáil Éireann
at the 1981 general election
but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the Dáil on his second attempt at the February 1982 general election for the Limerick East constituency. Like his former constituency colleague Desmond O'Malley
, O'Dea was opposed to Charles Haughey
's leadership throughout the 1980s, becoming a member of the so-called Gang of 22
. Following the founding of the Progressive Democrats
by Desmond O'Malley in 1985, O'Dea became the only Fianna Fáil TD in the five-seat Limerick East constituency.
succeeded Charles Haughey as Fianna Fáil leader and following a widespread cabinet reshuffle O'Dea, became a Minister of State
at the Department of Justice. Following the collapse of the Fianna Fáil-Labour Party
coalition government in 1994 O'Dea found himself on the opposition benches. After the 1997 general election
with the help of the Progressive Democrats
, Fianna Fáil were back in government and O'Dea was appointed a Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science
. Here he had responsibility for Adult Education and the School Transport Scheme. He oversaw reform and increased investment in adult education and back to school initiatives, starting with the launch of Green Paper in November 1998.
Following the 2002 general election
O'Dea became Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform with special responsibility for Equality Issues. His main function during this period was the passage of the Disabilities Bill, which the Government had been forced to withdraw in early 2002 in the teeth of opposition from the disability sector. After a number of changes, including a form of the independent assessment of needs demanded by the disability organisations, O'Dea reintroduced the Bill in September 2004 along with an implementation package.
Following a cabinet reshuffle in September 2004 O'Dea became Minister for Defence
. His tenure commenced as the army deafness compensation issue was starting to come to an end.
In November 2005 O'Dea encountered some controversy when he was photographed during a media event at the Curragh Camp
pointing an automatic pistol at a photographer. The photo appeared on the front page of The Irish Times
the following day. O'Dea apologised saying that it was not his intention to glamorise gun crime
During his term as Minister for Defence, O'Dea prioritised two particular issues: the recruitment of more women to the Defence Forces and the promotion of more serving non-commissioned members to the commissioned ranks, often called "promotion from the ranks".
He also presided over Ireland's second tour in the Lebanon in late 2006 as part of UNIFIL
2 and participation in the EUFOR
mission to Chad
.
: Shannon Airport
, Dell
and gangland crime.
In August 2007 he broke ranks with Cabinet colleagues to speak out against Aer Lingus
's decision to cease London Heathrow Airport
flights from Shannon.
In December 2008 O'Dea and Tánaiste
, Mary Coughlan flew to Dell's Corporate HQ in Texas
in a last ditch and ultimately futile attempt to stop the closure of Dell's manufacturing plant in Raheen, Limerick. Manufacturing was moved to Poland with the loss of about two thirds of the jobs at Dell's Limerick operation.
The slaying of two wholly innocent men in Limerick within months of each other: Shane Geoghegan and Roy Collins increased pressure on O'Dea locally, as a member of the Cabinet, to secure changes to the law and greater resources to tackle Limerick
city's gangland crime.
On 5 February 2010, O'Dea announced his failure to deliver on Government commitments to fund the Limerick Regeneration project. The €1.7bn funds (between 2009 and 2018) promised by the Government will no longer be delivered.
that a brothel had been operating in a house owned by Nessan Quinlivan
, brother of Maurice Quinlivan
, a Sinn Féin
candidate in Limerick for the upcoming June 2009 local elections
. On 14 April 2009, he signed a sworn affidavit
to the courts, denying making such allegations. Quinlivan sought an injunction under the Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act 1923: under section 11 of the act it is a criminal offence to make or publish a false statement of fact in relation to an election candidate. In December 2009, O'Dea settled the case out of court and apologised to Quinlivan for making "false and defamatory statements" during the interview, after a tape recording of the interview emerged. O'Dea also paid an undisclosed sum in damages to Quinlivan. A settlement agreement was read out in the High Court.
On 16 February 2010, Fine Gael
announced it intended to table a motion of no confidence
in O'Dea, however the government responded with a motion of confidence. The government won the confidence motion in O'Dea in the Dáil on 17 February 2010. The Green Party
, coalition partners in government with O'Dea's party, voted with Fianna Fáil on the motion. However, Green Party Chairman Senator Dan Boyle
wrote on Twitter
, that he has "no confidence" in O'Dea and declaring him to be "compromised".
On 18 February 2010, O'Dea resigned as Minister for Defence. In his resignation letter, he said that he had come to the conclusion: "that my continuing in office would distract from the important and vital work of the Government". O'Dea said he decided to resign when it became clear that the Green Party would no longer support the Government if he was to stay in office.
's frontbench as spokesperson for Communications as part of the Fianna Fáil campaign for the 2011 general election.
He was re-elected to the newly formed Limerick city constituency
, polling 16% of the vote, down from the massive 39% he polled four years previously. He is currently the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
politician and a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Limerick City
Limerick City (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Limerick City is a parliamentary constituency in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
constituency. He served as the Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
from September 2004 until 18 February 2010, when he resigned from his post due to controversy over a defamation case.
Early and private life
O'Dea was born in LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
and raised in Kilteely
Kilteely-Dromkeen
Kilteely and Dromkeen is a parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. It is located in east County Limerick in the province of Munster, Ireland, near the border of County Tipperary....
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
. He was educated at the Patrician Brothers College in Ballyfin
Ballyfin
Ballyfin is a small village and parish in County Laois, Ireland. Located in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, the village is in the midlands of Ireland. It is located on the R423 regional road mid way between the towns of Mountrath and Mountmellick....
, County Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
,and University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
where he studied law. He qualified as a barrister at King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
, Dublin. He has an accountancy qualification from the Institute of Certified Accountants. He worked as both a barrister and as an accountant before embarking on a career in politics. He also spent some time lecturing in the Law faculty in University College Dublin and in the University of Limerick
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick is a university in Ireland near the city of Limerick on the island's west coast. It was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989...
.
O'Dea is married to Geraldine Kennedy. He writes regularly for the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
and occasionally for other national newspapers.
Early political career
O'Dea first held political office as a Fianna Fáil member of Limerick County CouncilLimerick County Council
Limerick County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Limerick in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The head of the council has the title of...
. He served on that authority until 1992. He first stood for election to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the Dáil on his second attempt at the February 1982 general election for the Limerick East constituency. Like his former constituency colleague Desmond O'Malley
Desmond O'Malley
Desmond Joseph "Des" O'Malley is a former Irish politician.Born in Limerick, O'Malley was raised in a local political dynasty that had a strong association with Fianna Fáil. Elected to Dáil Éireann in 1968, he quickly became a trusted confidante of Taoiseach Jack Lynch...
, O'Dea was opposed to Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
's leadership throughout the 1980s, becoming a member of the so-called Gang of 22
Gang of 22
The "Gang of 22" was a group of Fianna Fáil Teachtaí Dála who were opposed to the leadership of Charles Haughey in the early 1980s...
. Following the founding of the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
by Desmond O'Malley in 1985, O'Dea became the only Fianna Fáil TD in the five-seat Limerick East constituency.
Ministerial career
In 1992 Albert ReynoldsAlbert Reynolds
Albert Reynolds , served as Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...
succeeded Charles Haughey as Fianna Fáil leader and following a widespread cabinet reshuffle O'Dea, became a Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
at the Department of Justice. Following the collapse of the Fianna Fáil-Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
coalition government in 1994 O'Dea found himself on the opposition benches. After the 1997 general election
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
with the help of the Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
, Fianna Fáil were back in government and O'Dea was appointed a Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science
Department of Education and Science (Ireland)
The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...
. Here he had responsibility for Adult Education and the School Transport Scheme. He oversaw reform and increased investment in adult education and back to school initiatives, starting with the launch of Green Paper in November 1998.
Following the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
O'Dea became Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform with special responsibility for Equality Issues. His main function during this period was the passage of the Disabilities Bill, which the Government had been forced to withdraw in early 2002 in the teeth of opposition from the disability sector. After a number of changes, including a form of the independent assessment of needs demanded by the disability organisations, O'Dea reintroduced the Bill in September 2004 along with an implementation package.
Following a cabinet reshuffle in September 2004 O'Dea became Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
. His tenure commenced as the army deafness compensation issue was starting to come to an end.
In November 2005 O'Dea encountered some controversy when he was photographed during a media event at the Curragh Camp
Curragh Camp
The Curragh Camp is an army base and military college located in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Irish Army.- Brief history of the Curragh's military heritage :...
pointing an automatic pistol at a photographer. The photo appeared on the front page of The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
the following day. O'Dea apologised saying that it was not his intention to glamorise gun crime
During his term as Minister for Defence, O'Dea prioritised two particular issues: the recruitment of more women to the Defence Forces and the promotion of more serving non-commissioned members to the commissioned ranks, often called "promotion from the ranks".
He also presided over Ireland's second tour in the Lebanon in late 2006 as part of UNIFIL
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
2 and participation in the EUFOR
European Union Military Staff
The European Union Military Staff is a department of the European Union , responsible for supervising operations within the realm of the Common Security and Defence Policy...
mission to Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
.
O'Dea and Limerick
O'Dea is highly identified with his native Limerick. Three main issues have dominated his recent pronouncements on LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
: Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
, Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
and gangland crime.
In August 2007 he broke ranks with Cabinet colleagues to speak out against Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
's decision to cease London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
flights from Shannon.
In December 2008 O'Dea and Tánaiste
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
, Mary Coughlan flew to Dell's Corporate HQ in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in a last ditch and ultimately futile attempt to stop the closure of Dell's manufacturing plant in Raheen, Limerick. Manufacturing was moved to Poland with the loss of about two thirds of the jobs at Dell's Limerick operation.
The slaying of two wholly innocent men in Limerick within months of each other: Shane Geoghegan and Roy Collins increased pressure on O'Dea locally, as a member of the Cabinet, to secure changes to the law and greater resources to tackle Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
city's gangland crime.
On 5 February 2010, O'Dea announced his failure to deliver on Government commitments to fund the Limerick Regeneration project. The €1.7bn funds (between 2009 and 2018) promised by the Government will no longer be delivered.
Defamation case and resignation
On 10 March 2009, O'Dea alleged in an interview with the Limerick LeaderLimerick Leader
The Limerick Leader is a weekly local newspaper in Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in 1889. The newspaper is headquartered on O'Connell Street....
that a brothel had been operating in a house owned by Nessan Quinlivan
Nessan Quinlivan
Nessan Quinlivan , is a former Provisional IRA member who escaped from Brixton Prison in London on 7 July 1991 along with his cellmate Pearse McAuley, while awaiting trial on charges relating to a suspected IRA plot to assassinate a former brewery company chairman, Sir Charles Tidbury.In April...
, brother of Maurice Quinlivan
Maurice Quinlivan
Maurice Quinlivan is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of Limerick City Council . He gained prominence for being libelled by Willie O'Dea, which resulted in the Willie O'Dea affidavit controversy.-Personal life:...
, a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
candidate in Limerick for the upcoming June 2009 local elections
Irish local elections, 2009
The 2009 Irish local elections were held in all the counties, cities and towns of Ireland on Friday, 5 June 2009, on the same day as the European Parliament election and two by-elections .-Overview:...
. On 14 April 2009, he signed a sworn affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
to the courts, denying making such allegations. Quinlivan sought an injunction under the Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act 1923: under section 11 of the act it is a criminal offence to make or publish a false statement of fact in relation to an election candidate. In December 2009, O'Dea settled the case out of court and apologised to Quinlivan for making "false and defamatory statements" during the interview, after a tape recording of the interview emerged. O'Dea also paid an undisclosed sum in damages to Quinlivan. A settlement agreement was read out in the High Court.
On 16 February 2010, Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
announced it intended to table a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in O'Dea, however the government responded with a motion of confidence. The government won the confidence motion in O'Dea in the Dáil on 17 February 2010. The Green Party
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
, coalition partners in government with O'Dea's party, voted with Fianna Fáil on the motion. However, Green Party Chairman Senator Dan Boyle
Dan Boyle (politician)
Dan Boyle is an Irish Green Party politician and party chairperson. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central from 2002–07 and was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007–11.-Early life and education:...
wrote on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, that he has "no confidence" in O'Dea and declaring him to be "compromised".
On 18 February 2010, O'Dea resigned as Minister for Defence. In his resignation letter, he said that he had come to the conclusion: "that my continuing in office would distract from the important and vital work of the Government". O'Dea said he decided to resign when it became clear that the Green Party would no longer support the Government if he was to stay in office.
Reappointment to front bench
O'Dea was appointed to Micheál MartinMicheál Martin
Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
's frontbench as spokesperson for Communications as part of the Fianna Fáil campaign for the 2011 general election.
He was re-elected to the newly formed Limerick city constituency
Limerick City (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Limerick City is a parliamentary constituency in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
, polling 16% of the vote, down from the massive 39% he polled four years previously. He is currently the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation.