Kieran O'Donnell explained

Honorific-Suffix:TD
Office:Minister of State
Suboffice:Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Subterm:2024–
Suboffice1:Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Subterm1:2022–2024
Office2:Chair of the Committee on Transport and Communications Networks
Term Start2:15 September 2020
Predecessor2:New office
Office3:Teachta Dála
Term Start3:February 2020
Term Start4:February 2011
Term End4:February 2016
Constituency4:Limerick City
Term Start5:May 2007
Term End5:February 2011
Constituency5:Limerick East
Office6:Senator
Term Start6:27 April 2016
Term End6:8 February 2020
Constituency6:Cultural and Educational Panel
Birth Date:8 May 1963
Birth Place:Limerick, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Party:Fine Gael
Children:4
Relatives:Tom O'Donnell (uncle)

Kieran O'Donnell (born 8 May 1963) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Minister of State since December 2022. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Limerick City constituency since the 2020 general election, and previously from 2011 to 2016 and from 2007 to 2011 for the Limerick East constituency. He was appointed Chair of the Committee on Transport and Communications Networks in September 2020. He was a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel from 2016 to 2020.[1]

Before becoming a full-time public representative, O'Donnell worked as an accountant. He is a nephew of Tom O'Donnell, a former Minister and TD for Limerick East.

O'Donnell was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2002 Seanad election. He was elected on his first attempt to Limerick County Council for the Castleconnell local electoral area in 2004.[2] He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2007 general election.

In October 2007, O'Donnell was appointed party Deputy Spokesperson on Finance, with special responsibility for Freedom of Information, Procurement Reform and the Office of Public Works. As Deputy Spokesperson, O'Donnell was given the full Finance portfolio on an acting basis by Enda Kenny on 14 June 2010, when Kenny sacked Richard Bruton.[3] O'Donnell subsequently supported Richard Bruton's leadership challenge to Enda Kenny. Following Kenny's victory in a motion of confidence, O'Donnell was not appointed to the front bench. In October 2010, he was appointed as party Deputy Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, with special responsibility for Enterprise and Employment.

He lost his Dáil seat at the 2016 general election.[2] He was subsequently elected to the 25th Seanad for the Cultural and Educational Panel, where he served as the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Finance. He regained his Dáil seat following the 2020 general election.

In December 2022, O'Donnell was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Local Government and Planning following the appointment of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach.[4]

On 10 April 2024, O'Donnell was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform following the appointment of Simon Harris as Taoiseach.[5]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kieran O'Donnell. Oireachtas Members Database. 17 April 2009. 24 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190424140454/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Kieran-O'Donnell.D.2007-06-14/. live.
  2. Web site: Kieran O'Donnell. ElectionsIreland.org. 17 April 2009. 22 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222151553/https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=557. live.
  3. News: Richard Bruton sacked as FG deputy leader. RTÉ News. 14 June 2010. 14 June 2010. 16 June 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100616062756/http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0614/finegael.html. live.
  4. Web site: Minister of State appointments. Department of the Taoiseach. gov.ie. 21 December 2022. 21 December 2022.
  5. Web site: Dillon, Higgins and Burke appointed as junior ministers. RTÉ News. 10 April 2024. 10 April 2024.