Lisa Chambers

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Senator
Lisa Chambers
Lisa Chambers, Dec 2021 (cropped).jpg
Chambers in 2021
Deputy Leader of Seanad Éireann
Assumed office
29 June 2020
TaoiseachMicheál Martin
LeaderRegina Doherty
Preceded byCatherine Noone
Leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad
Assumed office
29 June 2020
LeaderMicheál Martin
Preceded byCatherine Ardagh
Senator
Assumed office
20 April 2020
ConstituencyCultural and Educational Panel
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2016 – February 2020
ConstituencyMayo
Personal details
Born (1986-08-24) 24 August 1986 (age 35)
Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
Alma mater
Websitelisachambers.ie
Military service
Allegiance Ireland
Branch/serviceBadge of the Irish Defence Forces.svg Army Reserve
Years of service2003–2016
RankIE-Army-OF1b.png Second lieutenant
UnitBadge of the Irish Cavalry Corps.svg Cavalry Corps
AwardsIRL Service Medal FCÁ and SM - gold stripe.svg Service Medal
1916 Centenary Commemorative Medal.png Centenary Medal

Lisa Chambers (born 24 August 1986) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, and former barrister who since June 2020, has served as Deputy Leader of Seanad Éireann and Leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad. She previously served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo constituency from 2016 to 2020.[1]

Early life and education[]

Chambers is from Castlebar. She practised as a barrister, running her own practice in the town. She holds a professional bar qualification from the King's Inns, a Masters in Commercial Law from University College, Dublin (UCD), and a graduate degree in Commerce and Law from NUI Galway (NUIG).[2][3]

She was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2011 general election for the Mayo constituency.[4] She was elected to Mayo County Council following the 2014 local elections.[5]

Chambers was a member of the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) for 13 years, having joined as a teenager during secondary school. She was commissioned as an officer in the Army Reserve in November 2012, serving as a second lieutenant with the 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron (Curragh Camp), shortly after she transferred to the D Company (Castlebar), 6th Infantry Battalion, but resigned her commission when elected to the Dáil.[6][7]

TD[]

Following the 2016 general election, she was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Mayo constituency. She is not related to fellow Fianna Fáil politicians Frank Chambers[8] or Jack Chambers.[9]

She was appointed Spokesperson on Defence in the Fianna Fáil Front Bench on 18 May 2016, succeeding Seán Ó Fearghaíl who had been elected Ceann Comhairle of the 32nd Dáil.[10] She was later given the Brexit portfolio in a reshuffle.

She lost her seat at the 2020 general election after 4 years in the Dáil.

Senator[]

At the 2020 Seanad election, Chambers was elected as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel.[11] She is Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Foreign and European Affairs in the Seanad.

Chambers also chairs the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. [12]

Controversies[]

On 29 November 2018 in a Dáil debate on Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, Chambers stated "Abortion regret is made up and it does not exist".[13] A number of days later she apologised to hurt she caused and stating her comments were taken out of context.[14]

On 17 October 2019 Chambers became embroiled in a voting controversy, she was shown in to have voted on behalf of party colleague Dara Calleary and herself during a vote on an amendment on a forestry motion.[15]

In December, the Sunday Independent discovered footage from 17th January 2019 that appeared to show Chambers sitting in Timmy Dooley's seat for fifty minutes while seven votes were recorded, although not visible in the footage, votes were also recorded from Chambers' seat.[16][17]

She was one of a number of TDs found to be claiming a €25-per-day expense for phone roaming charges while travelling in the EU, two years after mobile phone roaming charges were abolished in the region. She claimed a total of €525 for ‘daily telephone allowance’ while travelling in the EU.[18]

In February 2020, Chambers defended choosing a route to the Oireachtas that is 35km longer than the shortest possible journey, placing her in the "band 9" of the travel allowance table increasing her annual allowance by €1,350.[19]

Several months later, Chambers was found to have received expenses of €6,626 for April and May 2020 during which time the Seanad was closed due to COVID-19 pandemic.[20]

References[]

  1. ^ "Lisa Chambers". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  2. ^ "About". Lisa Chambers. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  3. ^ Flynn, Anne Marie; McNulty, Anton (8 February 2011). "Chambers 'proud and honoured' to join FF ticket". The Mayo News. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Lisa Chambers". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Election 2016: Chambers". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 28 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  6. ^ McQuinn, Cormac (10 March 2016). "Meet your 52 new TDs: lawyers, teachers, a techno DJ". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  7. ^ O'Connell, Hugh (16 March 2016). "The Fianna Fáil surge: How this new TD upset the odds in Enda's backyard". thejournal.ie. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Lisa i have not quit fianna fil [sic]". The Connaught Telegraph. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2016. This is a different lady and is not a relation of mine. ... She is the daughter of former Fianna Fáil Senator Frank Chambers
  9. ^ Dillon, Fiona (March 2016). "'I will get my hair cut when I get a chance' – Fianna Fail TD Jack Chambers on social media abuse". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016. One of the other new Fianna Fail TDs to be elected under the age of 30 is Lisa Chambers (29) from Castlebar, but they are not directly related, even though they would both have some family roots in the town of Newport.
  10. ^ "New Mayo TD Lisa is in FF's shadow cabinet". The Connaught Telegraph. 18 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Seanad general election 2020". www.oireachtas.ie. Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  12. ^ Oireachtas, Houses of the (8 July 2021). "Seanad Brexit Committee launches its 'Interim Report on the Impacts of Brexit' – 8 Jul 2021, 11.14 – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed)". Oireachtas.ie. 29 November 2018. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Chambers apologises for 'hurt' over remark on abortion regret". Irish Independent. 2 December 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Fianna Fáil's Lisa Chambers voted for Dara Calleary after sitting 'in wrong seat'". The Irish Times. 20 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  16. ^ "New footage shows Lisa Chambers in Timmy Dooley's Dail seat during seven votes". Irish Independent. 15 December 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Lisa Chambers tells 'votegate' inquiry she didn't think double-vote was a massive issue". Irish Independent. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Politicians still claiming €25-a-day allowance for scrapped phone fees". Extra.ie. 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  19. ^ "'This is the quickest route' — FF's Lisa Chambers defends travel expenses claim". Extra.ie. 8 February 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Two Mayo Senators receive over €6,000 expenses for April & May - even though Seanad was closed". MidWest_Radio. 12 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.

External links[]

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