Jim O'Callaghan

Jim O'Callaghan (born 5 January 1968) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay South constituency since 2016.[1][2]

Jim O'Callaghan

TD
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyDublin Bay South
Personal details
Born
James O'Callaghan

(1968-01-05) 5 January 1968
Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFianna Fáil
Spouse(s)Julie Liston (m. 1997)
RelationsMiriam O'Callaghan (Sister)
Children1
Alma mater

He was a member of Dublin City Council from 2009 to 2016. He unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for Fianna Fáil in the 2007 general election in Dublin South-East.[3] O'Callaghan has practised as an Irish barrister and senior counsel, and his sister Miriam is a broadcaster.[4]

Parliamentary career

On 19 May 2016, he was appointed as Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Justice and Equality, by party leader Micheál Martin TD. As the Opposition Spokesperson for Justice and Equality, he drafted and secured cross-party support his Parole Bill which was passed by the Oireachtas and became an Act.[5] It comprehensively reforms the system of parole giving victims of crime and their families the right to be heard during the parole process. The Oireachtas also passed his proposals to expand the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau into law.

O'Callaghan has a BCL degree from University College Dublin, a Masters in Law and an M.Phil in criminology from Sidney Sussex College, at Cambridge University, and a BL degree from the King's Inns. In 2000, he represented Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in defamation proceedings against a businessman, appearing with future Attorneys General Rory Brady and Paul Gallagher.[6] A barrister, he was made a senior counsel in 2008. O'Callaghan also served as a legal adviser to Fianna Fáil from January 2011 to his election to the Dáil. In 2014, he co-edited a book titled, Law and Government: A Tribute to Rory Brady.[7] O'Callaghan had "devilled" for Brady, who was later appointed Attorney General of Ireland.[8] O'Callaghan has represented many high-profile clients in defamation cases, including Louis Walsh, Julia Kushnir, Gerry Kelly, Ivan Yates, Jim Higgins, Denis O'Brien, Justin Timberlake, Rosanna Davison and Tulisa Contostavlos. He has also appeared in two of Ireland's largest commercial court disputes: Fyffes v DCC and Menolly Homes v Irish Asphalt Limited.

Personal life

He played rugby at a senior level, representing UCD, Cambridge University, London Irish, Wanderers, Leinster and Connacht. He was also capped for Ireland at under-21 level. He is a frequent cyclist, regularly cycling to Leinster House and advocates for the expansion of cycling infrastructure in Dublin.

He has four sisters,[9] one of whom is the Irish broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan.[4]

He was on the Fianna Fáil negotiating team in talks on government formation in 2016.[10] Early on 9 April 2016, O'Callaghan's home hosted a covert meeting between O'Callaghan, Leo Varadkar, Deirdre Gillane (chief adviser of Micheál Martin) and Andrew McDowell (a policy adviser of Enda Kenny). It lasted for more than an hour.[11]

References
  1. "Jim O'Callaghan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  2. "Election 2016: Jim O'Callaghan". RTÉ News. 28 February 2016.
  3. "Jim O'Callaghan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  4. "Miriam O'Callaghan: In her prime". Sunday Independent. 20 June 2010.
  5. News, Irish Legal. "Bill to create independent statutory Parole Board approved by Oireachtas". Irish Legal News.
  6. "Judge lets Ahern libel case proceed". The Irish Times. 12 December 2000. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  7. "Former Attorney General Brady was an 'incalculable loss'". independent.
  8. "Former Attorney General's funeral takes place". July 22, 2010 – via www.rte.ie. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. "Jim O'Callaghan on growing up with five strong women - 'The house was dominated by feminism to a certain extent'". independent.
  10. McGee, Harry (12 March 2016). "Fianna Fáil's negotiating team for government talks revealed". The Irish Times.
  11. "FG and FF agree minority government the only show in town". The Irish Times. 11 April 2016.
Oireachtas
New constituency Teachta Dála for Dublin Bay South
2016–present
With: Eoghan Murphy
Kate O'Connell
Eamon Ryan		 Incumbent
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