John Halligan (politician)

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John Halligan
John Halligan 2011.jpg
Minister of State
2017–2020Business, Enterprise and Innovation
2016–2017Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
2016–2020Education and Skills
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2011 – February 2020
ConstituencyWaterford
Personal details
Born (1955-01-18) 18 January 1955 (age 66)
Waterford, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Workers' Party (1999–2007)
Spouse(s)Elaine Powell (m. 2016)[1]
Children3
Alma materWaterford Institute of Technology

John Halligan (born 18 January 1955) is an Irish former Independent politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Waterford constituency from 2011 to 2020.[2] He also served as Minister of State from 2016 to 2020.

He was first elected to the Waterford City Council in 1999, for the Workers' Party of Ireland. At the 2004 local elections, he topped the poll in Waterford No. 3 electoral area. He was an unsuccessful Workers' Party candidate for the Waterford constituency at the 2002 and 2007 general elections.[3] In February 2008, he resigned from the Workers' Party, when the party refused to drop its opposition to service charges, which Halligan supported.[4] In 2009, as an Independent candidate, Halligan again topped the poll in his area.[3] After the 2009 local elections, Halligan entered into a pact with Fine Gael and the Labour Party on Waterford City Council. As a result, he was duly elected Mayor of Waterford, serving from 2009 to 2010.

He was elected as a TD for the Waterford constituency at the 2011 general election, receiving 5,546 first preference votes (10.3%) and was elected on the 11th count.[3] Following his election to the Dáil in February 2011, Sean Reinhardt was co-opted to replace Halligan on Waterford City Council.[5] In March 2011, Halligan joined the Dáil technical group allowing himself more speaking time in Dáil debates.[6] On 15 December 2011, he helped launch a nationwide campaign against a proposed household charge being brought in as part of the 2012 budget.[7]

He joined the Independent Alliance upon its inception in 2015.[8] On 27 February 2016, he was re-elected as a TD for Waterford at the general election, receiving 8,306 first preference votes and was elected on the 8th count. After prolonged talks on government formation, 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-elected to the office of Taoiseach.[9]

On 19 May 2016, Halligan was appointed by the new government a Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills and at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation with responsibility for Training and Skills.[10][11][12] On 20 June 2017, after Leo Varadkar succeeded Kenny as Taoisech, Halligan was appointed by the government as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills and at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation with responsibility for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development.[13][14][15][16][17]

In November 2017, the Workplace Relations Commission found that he had violated equality legislation by asking a candidate "Do you have children? How old are your children?" during a job interview; the WRC ordered the minister's department to pay €7,500 to the candidate.[18]

He retired from the Dáil at the 2020 general election on 8 May, continuing in office as a junior minister until the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020.

References[]

  1. ^ Cormac McQuinn (21 January 2017). "Independent minister forges happy new alliance". Irish Independent. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  2. ^ "John Halligan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "John Halligan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Workers' Party asks Halligan for his seat". Munster Express. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Reinhardt takes City Council seat". Munster Express. 15 April 2011.
  6. ^ "TDs agree to form technical group". The Irish Times. 9 March 2011.
  7. ^ "TDs would go to jail over household charge". RTÉ News. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Feargal Quinn to announce he is to join Independent Alliance". The Irish Times. 29 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Enda Kenny is re-elected as Taoiseach in the Dáil". Newstalk. 6 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Appointment of Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (32nd Dáil) – Thursday, 19 May 2016". Houses of the Oireachtas. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  11. ^ Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 334). 28 June 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 26 March 2021, Irish Statute Book.
  12. ^ Education and Skills (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 355). 5 July 2016. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 26 March 2021, Irish Statute Book.
  13. ^ "Appointment of Members of Government and Ministers of State – Dáil Éireann (32nd Dáil) – Tuesday, 20 June 2017". Houses of the Oireachtas. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  14. ^ Education and Skills (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 333). 18 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 21 March 2021, Irish Statute Book.
  15. ^ Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 3) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 363). 26 July 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 21 March 2021, Irish Statute Book.
  16. ^ Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 570). 12 December 2017. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 21 March 2021, Irish Statute Book.
  17. ^ Education and Skills (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 641). 18 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved 20 March 2021, Irish Statute Book.
  18. ^ "John Halligan's interview questions not a 'sacking offence'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
Oireachtas
Preceded by
Martin Cullen
John Deasy
Brendan Kenneally
Brian O'Shea 		Teachta Dála for Waterford
2011–2020
With: Paudie Coffey 2011–16
Ciara Conway 2011–16
John Deasy 2002–2020
Mary Butler 2016–present
David Cullinane 2016–present 		Succeeded by
Mary Butler
David Cullinane
Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Matt Shanahan
Civic offices
Preceded by
Jack Walsh 		Mayor of Waterford
2009–2010 		Succeeded by
Mary Roche
Party political offices
Preceded by
Martin O'Regan? 		Vice President of the Workers' Party of Ireland
2001?–2008 		Succeeded by
Post vacant?
Retrieved from ""