Seán Sherlock Explained

Honorific-Suffix:TD
Office:Minister of State
Suboffice:Foreign Affairs and Trade
Subterm:2014–2016
Suboffice1:Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Subterm1:2011–2014
Suboffice2:Education and Skills
Subterm2:2011–2014
Office3:Teachta Dála
Term Start3:May 2007
Constituency3:Cork East
Birth Date:6 December 1972
Birth Place:Cork, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Party:Labour Party
Children:3
Father:Joe Sherlock
Education:Patrician Academy, Mallow
Alma Mater:University College Galway

Seán Sherlock (born 6 December 1972) is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork East constituency since the 2007 general election. He served as a Minister of State from 2011 to 2016.[1]

Early life

Sherlock was born in Cork in 1972, but is a native of Mallow, County Cork. He is the son of Joe Sherlock, who at the time was an Official Sinn Féin member of Cork County Council. He was educated locally at St. Patrick's Boys' National School and the Patrician Academy, before later attending Cork College of Commerce. Sherlock subsequently studied at University College Galway,[2] where he completed a degree in Economics and Politics.

Political career

Sherlock first became directly involved in politics when he served a six-month internship with MEP Proinsias De Rossa, in his office at the European Parliament. Following the completion of his internship he was offered a full-time job working as an assistant to de Rossa.

In 2002, Sherlock served as election manager for his father in his attempt to win back a seat in the Cork East constituency at the general election as a Labour Party candidate. The campaign was successful; Joe Sherlock returned to Dáil Éireann after a ten-year absence.

The abolition of the dual mandate in 2003 meant that Joe Sherlock had to vacate his seats on Mallow Town Council and Cork County Council. Seán was co-opted onto both councils that year. The following year he won both seats in his own right when he was successful at the local elections. He was then elected Mayor of Mallow.

When Joe Sherlock announced that he would not be contesting the 2007 general election, Seán was selected to succeed him. He contested Cork East for the Labour Party and was elected.[3] A Fianna Fáil-led government returned to office for the third successive election. Seán Sherlock was appointed Labour Party Spokesperson on Agriculture and Food.

Minister of State

Sherlock retained his Dáil seat at the 2011 general election, topping the poll in Cork East. He was appointed by the new Fine Gael–Labour coalition government as Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and at the Department of Education and Skills with special responsibility for Research and Innovation.[4] [5] [6]

In January 2012, Sherlock proposed legislation to give copyright holders the right to seek an injunction against copyright violators. A group called "Stop SOPA Ireland" petitioned against the legislation, comparisons being made between these reforms and the Stop Online Piracy Act in the United States. Sherlock said such comparisons were "not based on fact".[7] According to the Irish government the legislation was intended to close a loophole after a High Court case in 2010, in which EMI sued UPC, an internet service provider, over illegal downloads. A denial-of-service attack was performed against government websites in protest over the changes.[8] On 29 February 2012, Sherlock signed the legislation, citing Ireland's "obligations under EU law".[9] [10] The legislation subsequently resulted in the blocking of The Pirate Bay in Ireland.[11]

On 15 July 2014, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Overseas Development Aid, Trade Promotion and North–South Cooperation.[12] [13]

Return to opposition

Following the 2016 general election, Sherlock was one of seven remaining Labour TDs.[14] [15] He opposed returning to coalition with Fine Gael during the government formation talks that year.[16] He continued to serve as a junior minister until the new government was formed on 6 May 2016. He was Party Spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs and the Environment in the 32nd Dáil.

Sherlock was re-elected at the 2020 general election.[17] [18] When Brendan Howlin stood down as party leader in 2020, Sherlock ruled out contesting the Labour Party leadership election.[19] He nominated Alan Kelly, who would defeat Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.[20] [21] In July 2020, Sherlock was appointed Labour Party Spokesperson on Social Protection, Rural and Community Affairs and the Islands, including Agriculture and the Marine.[22]

Following the redrawing of his constituency, Sherlock announced in October 2023 that he would not run in the next general election.[23]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Seán Sherlock . Oireachtas Members Database . 17 June 2019 . 17 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190617180920/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Se%25C3%25A1n-Sherlock.D.2007-06-14/ . live .
  2. News: Former NUI Galway Students, including Taoiseach, take senior roles in Cabinet . Spring 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120509052031/http://www.nuigalway.ie/alumni/newsletter/spring2011.html . 9 May 2012.
  3. Web site: Seán Sherlock . ElectionsIreland.org . 18 April 2009 . 20 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090520082105/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=109 . live .
  4. Web site: Kenny breaks election pledge by not cutting junior ministers . . 11 March 2011 . 18 March 2011 . 20 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120920194053/http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kenny-breaks-election-pledge-by-not-cutting-junior-ministers-147860.html . live .
  5. Appointment of Ministers of State. 22 March 2011. Iris Oifigiúil. 23. 2011. 402–403. 11 August 2021. 1 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210901071907/https://irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2011/march/Ir220311.pdf. live.
  6. 2011. si. 241. Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 4) Order 2011 . 24 May 2011. 7 April 2021.
  7. News: Edwards . Elaine . Copyright 'piracy' measurepublished . 29 January 2012 . . 26 January 2012 . 29 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120129205244/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0126/breaking49.html . live .
  8. News: Anti copyright hackers claim responsibility for government website attacks . 29 January 2012 . . 25 January 2012 . 28 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120128032407/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/anti-copyright-hackers-claim-responsibility-for-government-website-attacks-2999007.html . live .
  9. News: Sherlock signs copyright amendment law . 29 February 2012 . 29 February 2012 . RTÉ News . Raidió Teilifís Éireann . 1 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120301012255/http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0229/copyright.html . live .
  10. News: Internet copyright law signed . Genevieve . Carbery . The Irish Times . 29 February 2012 . 29 February 2012 . 1 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120301032113/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0229/breaking53.html . live .
  11. News: Ireland's High Court orders six ISPs to block access to The Pirate Bay . Silicon Republic . 16 June 2013 . 2 July 2014 . 1 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140701093530/http://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/item/33028-irelands-high-court-orders . live .
  12. News: Simon Harris among new Ministers of State . . 15 July 2014 . 4 August 2014 . 20 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140720122431/http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0715/630800-ministers-of-state-appointment/ . live .
  13. Appointment of Ministers of State. 5 August 2014. Iris Oifigiúil. 62. 2014. 1172–1173. 11 August 2021. 16 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171116000405/http://irisoifigiuil.ie/archive/2014/august/Ir050814.pdf. live.
  14. Web site: MacGuill. Dan. Labour just had the worst election in its 104-year history. 2020-09-04. TheJournal.ie. en. 30 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201130225948/https://www.thejournal.ie/labour-ireland-worst-election-ge16-2016-2629803-Mar2016/. live.
  15. Web site: Cork East looking to be very much 'as you are'. 2020-09-04. independent. en. 19 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200119141757/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/corkman/news/cork-east-looking-to-be-very-much-as-you-are-38865462.html. live.
  16. News: Roche. Barry. Labour's Sean Sherlock against coalition deal with Fine Gael. 2020-09-04. The Irish Times. en. 19 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160419185618/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/labour-s-sean-sherlock-against-coalition-deal-with-fine-gael-1.2614857. live.
  17. News: O'Halloran. Marie. Election 2020: Seán Sherlock (Labour). 2020-09-04. The Irish Times. en. 23 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210923180401/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2020-se%C3%A1n-sherlock-labour-1.4168643. live.
  18. News: O'Riordan . Seán . Cork East results: Final three seats decided on count eight . 5 June 2021 . . 10 February 2020 . Dublin . live . https://archive.today/20210605122914/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/cork-east-results-final-three-seats-decided-on-count-eight-1.4165162 . 5 June 2021.
  19. Web site: Sherlock rules himself out of Labour leadership contest after Brendan Howlin calls it quits. 2020-09-04. Echo Live. 12 February 2020. 13 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200913060509/https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Sherlock-rules-himself-out-of-Labour-leadership-contest-after-Brendan-Howlin-calls-it-quits-41667139-072a-4071-8c8c-89536ec8019b-ds. live.
  20. Web site: Duffy. Rónán. Alan Kelly v Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Two TDs set to compete for Labour leadership. 2020-09-04. TheJournal.ie. en. 17 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200317175213/https://www.thejournal.ie/labour-leadership-4-5011323-Feb2020/. live.
  21. Web site: 2020-02-18. 'There is a hard road ahead' — Alan Kelly launches bid for Labour leadership. 2020-09-04. Extra.ie. en-GB. 24 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124000538/https://extra.ie/2020/02/18/news/politics/alan-kelly-contest-labour-leadership. live.
  22. Web site: TheCork.ie. 2020-07-07. Cork retains Agri TD as Labour's Sean Sherlock appointed spokesman on Social Protection & Agriculture. 2020-09-04. TheCork.ie (News). en-GB. 7 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200807005920/https://www.thecork.ie/2020/07/07/this-cork-td-is-an-expert-on-both-social-protection-agriculture/. live.
  23. News: Labour TD Seán Sherlock says he will not run in next general election . 2023-10-09 . The Irish Times . en.

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