Seán Canney Explained

Office:Minister of State
Suboffice:Rural and Community Development
Subterm:2018–2020
Suboffice1:Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Subterm1:2018–2020
Suboffice2:Public Expenditure and Reform
Subterm2:2016–2017
Office3:Teachta Dála
Term Start3:February 2016
Constituency3:Galway East
Birth Date:6 April 1960
Birth Place:Belclare, County Galway, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Party:Independent
Otherparty:Independent Alliance
Children:3

Seán Canney (born 6 April 1960) is an Irish independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway East constituency since 2016.[1] He served as a Minister of State from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2018 to 2020.

A native of Belclare, Tuam, County Galway. Canney was campaign manager for his brother-in-law, Paddy McHugh, in the 2002 general election, in which McHugh gained a seat in the Galway East constituency.[2]

As an independent candidate, Canney was elected to Galway County Council in 2004, on his first attempt. He was re-elected in each of the subsequent local elections in 2009 and 2014. In both the 2009 and 2014 elections, he topped the poll in the Tuam local electoral area.[3]

He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2011 general election in the Galway East constituency, receiving 5,567 first preference votes.[3]

He served as Mayor of County Galway for the term 2007 to 2008, and served on a number of boards and committees. He joined the Independent Alliance in advance of the 2016 general election. At the 2016 general election, he topped the poll in Galway East, securing 8,447 first preference votes.[4] After lengthy government formation talks, the Independent Alliance supported the nomination of Enda Kenny as Taoiseach on 6 May 2016, allowing Kenny to become the first leader of Fine Gael to be re-appointed to this office.[5]

He was appointed a member of the Committee on Housing and Homelessness, a position he held until his appointment on 19 May 2016 by the new government as Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief.[6] [7] He served in that position until 3 June 2017, when he was succeeded by Kevin "Boxer" Moran, part of an arrangement within the Independent Alliance.[8] [9]

He has advocated the reopening the Western Rail Corridor to trains from Galway to Claremorris.[10] [11]

He left the Independent Alliance in May 2018, but continued to support the government.[12]

In a reshuffle after the resignation of Denis Naughten from cabinet, Canney returned to the ministerial ranks on 16 October 2018. On 13 October 2018, he was appointed by the government on nomination by Leo Varadkar as Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment with special responsibility for natural resources, community affairs and digital development.[13] [14] [15] [16]

Canney was re-elected at the February 2020 general election. He stayed in ministerial office until the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020. He sits in the Regional Group in the 33rd Dáil.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Seán Canney. Oireachtas Members Database. 5 May 2018. 27 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327172425/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Se%C3%A1n-Canney.D.2016-10-03/. live.
  2. Web site: Andrews. Kernan. 24 February 2011. Fine Gael and Canney to be big winners in Galway East . 13 January 2023 . Galway Advertiser.
  3. Web site: Seán Canney. ElectionsIreland.org. 13 July 2019. 21 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200921084844/https://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=5045. live.
  4. News: Election 2016 - Galway East . . 27 February 2016 . 16 June 2016 . 16 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160616004043/http://www.irishtimes.com/election-2016/galway-east . live .
  5. News: Enda Kenny is re-elected as Taoiseach in the Dáil. Newstalk. 6 May 2016. 7 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20171121062500/http://www.newstalk.com/election2016/Enda-Kenny-Taoiseach-Cabinet-Dail-votes-Independents. 21 November 2017. dead.
  6. Web site: 2016 Edition, No. 47. 805. 10 June 2016. Iris Oifigiúil. 22 June 2021. 14 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171114121818/http://irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2016/june/IR100616-1.pdf. live.
  7. News: Taoiseach appoints four Ministers of State to Department of Health . Newstalk HQ, Marconi House, Digges Lane, Dublin 2 . 19 May 2016 . 16 June 2016 . 23 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210923175220/https://www.newstalk.com/news/taoiseach-announces-15-new-ministers-of-state-596715 . live .
  8. Web site: 2017 Edition, No. 46. 789. 9 June 2017. Iris Oifigiúil. 22 June 2021. 2 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213637/https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2017/june/Ir090617.pdf. live.
  9. Web site: Moran takes up ministerial role in coin-flip deal. . 3 June 2017. 22 June 2021. 3 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210603110602/https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2017/0603/880043-ireland-politics/. live.
  10. News: Pressure mounts on FG to invest in Western Rail Corridor . Kevin . Doyle . . 5 May 2016 . 2 December 2017 . https://archive.today/20171202235816/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/pressure-mounts-on-fg-to-invest-in-western-rail-corridor-34686753.html . 2 December 2017 . dead .
  11. Web site: Western Rail Corridor crucial for the future development of the West . seancanney.com . 21 August 2017 . 2 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171114080623/http://www.seancanney.com/western-rail-corridor-crucial-future-development-west-canney/ . 14 November 2017.
  12. News: Canney announces departure from Independent Alliance. RTÉ News. 4 May 2018. 5 May 2018. 5 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180505205003/https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0504/960249-sean-canney/. live.
  13. Web site: 2018 Edition, No. 86. 1476. 26 October 2018. Iris Oifigiúil. 22 June 2021. 24 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210624210155/https://www.irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2018/october/Ir261018.pdf. live.
  14. si. 2018. 511. Rural and Community Development (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018. 6 November 2018. 30 December 2020.
  15. si. 2018. 472. Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018. 13 November 2018. 20 March 2021.
  16. Web site: Bruton named Minister for Communications, McHugh named Minister for Education. 13 October 2018. RTÉ News. Martina. Fitzgerald. 13 October 2018. 13 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181013140720/https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1013/1002915-minister-appointments/. live.