Maurice Quinlivan

Maurice Quinlivan
Limerick City and County Councillor
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 May 2014
Preceded by Office Created
Constituency Limerick City North
Limerick City Councillor
In office
5 June 2009 – 23 May 2014
Succeeded by Council merged with Limerick County Council
Constituency Limerick City North
Personal details
Born 1967
Political party Sinn Féin
Spouse(s) Sue Quinlivan
Occupation Travel Agent

Maurice Quinlivan (born 1967) is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of Limerick City Council.[1] He gained prominence for being libelled by Willie O'Dea, which resulted in the Willie O'Dea affidavit controversy.

Personal life

He was born in Ballynanty in Limerick city where he resides with his wife.[2] His brother Nessan Quinlivan, was a former Provisional IRA volunteer. He has 3 other siblings older sisters Siobhan and Eimear and Younger sibling Cliona

Political career

He previously ran unsuccessfully as a Sinn Féin candidate at the 2004 local elections for Limerick City Council and for Limerick East at the 2007 general election.[3] He was elected to Limerick City Council in 2009.

During the local election campaign Willie O'Dea gave an interview to the Limerick Leader. In response to criticism about the use of Department of Defence resources for constituency work, O'Dea attacked Quinlivan and claimed that Quinlivan was running a brothel.[4]

Quinlivan responded by launching a High Court defamation challenge against O'Dea. As part of his defence O'Dea swore under oath an affidavit that he had not made this remark.[5] He was forced to retract his denial after the release of a recording of the conversation in which the allegations were made by O'Dea.[5] The case was subsequently settled out of court with O'Dea paying an undisclosed sum in damages and apologising for the remarks.[6] However O'Dea was forced to resign as Minister for Defence over accusations that he had committed perjury.

On the council, Quinlivan has supported an extension of Limerick city's boundary, opposed the planned merger of Limerick City and County Councils [7] and campaigned for greater resources to tackle Limerick's drug problem.[8] He, along with Independent councillor and former Mayor of Limerick John Gilligan, are the only two councillors on Limerick City Council to oppose to the Household charge. Both men have refused to pay the charge. [9][10]

He was a candidate in the Limerick City constituency at the 2011 general election. He received 8.6% of the first preference votes, coming fifth in the four seat constituency ahead of incumbent FF TD Peter Power, but was not elected.[11] He was re-elected at the 2014 local elections, topping the poll with 24.5% of the vote.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.limerickcorp.ie/YourCouncil/ElectedMembers/
  2. ↑ http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/17554
  3. ↑ http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=5371
  4. ↑ "Transcript of Willie O'Dea interview". The Irish Times. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Brothel remark Irish defence minister O'Dea resigns". BBC. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "O'Dea apologises for defamatory statements". RTÉ. 21 December 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  7. ↑ "Councillor - Minister must opt for boundary extension". Limerick Post. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Heroin Epidemic in City - Quinlivan". Limerick Post. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "Low Turnout at protest over household and water taxes". Limerick Leader. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  10. ↑ "Councillor Maurice Quinlivan won't pay household charge". Limerick's Live95FM. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  11. ↑ http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/19887
Party political offices
Preceded by
?		 Treasurer of Sinn Féin
with Rita O' Hare
2009–present 		Incumbent