Rory O'Hanlon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rory O'Hanlon

15th Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil Éireann
Incumbent
Assumed office 2002
Preceded by	Séamus Pattison
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	7 March 1934 (age 73) Dublin, Ireland
Constituency	Cavan-Monaghan
Political party	Fianna Fáil

Rory O'Hanlon (Irish: Ruairí Ó hAnnlúain; born 7 February 1934) is the current Ceann Comhairle (speaker) of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas.

Rory O'Hanlon was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1934. Born into a family that was deeply associated with the republican tradition, his father being a member of the Fourth Northern Division of the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence. O'Hanlon was educated at Mullaghbawn National School, County Armagh, St. Mary's College, Dundalk, Blackrock College, Dublin and University College Dublin where he obtained a degree in medicine. O'Hanlon entered his first electoral contest in 1973 when he contested a by-election caused by the election of Erskine Childers to the Presidency. O'Hanlon was unsuccessful on this occasion but was eventually elected at the 1977 general election for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency. Two years later he became a member of Monaghan County Council, serving on that authority until 1987.

In 1979 O'Hanlon supported George Colley in the Fianna Fáil leadership election, however, Charles Haughey emerged as the victor. O'Hanlon remained on the backbenches for several years, until he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health & Social Welfare for a very short period in 1982. In early 1983 Fianna Fáil was out of power and O'Hanlon was appointed party spokesperson on Health, becoming Minister for Health when the party returned to power in 1987. While the party campaigned on a platform of not introducing any cuts the party committed a complete volte-face in government. The savage cuts in relation to healthcare earned O'Hanlon the unpleasant nickname Dr. Death. In 1991 he became Minister for the Environment following Albert Reynolds' failed leadership challenge against Haughey.

When Reynolds eventually came to power in 1992 O'Hanlon was just one of several high-profile members of the cabinet who lost their ministerial positions. In 1994 he became chairman of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary party before being elected Leas-Ceann Comhairle (Deputy Speaker} of Dáil Éireann in 1997. Following the 2002 general election O'Hanlon became Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann. In this position he must remain neutral and, as such, he is no longer classed as a representative of any political party. He has been an active chairman of the Dáil, however, on occasion he has been criticised and accused of, most notably by Labour's Pat Rabbitte, for stifling debate and being overly protective of the government.

Two of O'Hanlon's children have served as local politicians in County Monaghan, while the Sinn Féin Teachta Dála, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, is also a relation of O'Hanlon. O'Hanlon is also the father of the well-known comedian Ardal O'Hanlon.

[edit] Political career

Oireachtas
Preceded by Newly created constituency	Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cavan-Monaghan 1977 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Denis Gallagher	Minister of State at the Department of Health Oct. 1982–Dec. 1982	Succeeded by Fergus O'Brien
Preceded by Denis Gallagher	Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare Oct. 1982–Dec. 1982	Succeeded by Fergus O'Brien
Preceded by John Boland	Minister for Health 1987–1991	Succeeded by Michael Smith
Preceded by John P. Wilson	Minister for the Environment 1991–1992	Succeeded by Mary O'Rourke
Preceded by Séamus Pattison	Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann 2002 – present	Incumbent

Speakers of Dáil Éireann Cinn Comhairlí Dáil Éireann
Cathal Brugha • Count Plunkett • Seán T. O'Kelly • Eoin MacNeill • Michael Hayes • Frank Fahy • Patrick Hogan • Cormac Breslin • Seán Treacy • Joseph Brennan • Pádraig Faulkner • John O'Connell • Thomas Fitzpatrick • Séamus Pattison • Rory O'Hanlon