Liz O'Donnell
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Liz O'Donnell (Irish: Eilís Ní Dhomhnaill; born July 1956) is a former Irish politician. She is the Deputy Leader of the junior coalition government party, the Progressive Democrats[1] who represented Dublin South as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1992 to 2007.
Liz O'Donnell was born in Dublin. She was educated at the Salesian Convent, Limerick and Trinity College Dublin where she was an honours graduate of the Law School. Prior to embarking on a political career O'Donnell was a Vice Chair of the Women's Political Association and a delegate to the National Women's Council. In 1991 she was successfully elected to Dublin City Council for the Progressive Democrats for the Rathmines Local Electoral Area. She served on Dublin City Council until 1994.
In the 1992 general election she was elected to Dáil Eireann for the Progressive Democrats, representing Dublin South. She was opposition spokesperson on Health and Social Welfare from 1992 to 1993. She was Party Whip and Justice spokesperson from 1993 to 1997. Following her return to the 28th Dáil at the 1997 general election, she negotiated the Programme for the Coalition Government between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, along with her then party colleague Minister of State Bobby Molloy.
O'Donnell was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Overseas Development Assistance and Human Rights. She represented the Irish Government at the multi-party talks at Stormont, which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. She was also a member of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Asylum Immigration and related matters Following the resignation of Bobby Molloy she was promoted to Cabinet as Minister of State to the Government in April, 2002.
She was re-elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election as TD for Dublin South. In December 2002, she was awarded the Doolin Memorial Medal for her contribution to Overseas Development and Human Rights. She lost her seat in the 2007 general election.
O'Donnell caused a media storm in September 2007 after revealing that she regularly did radio interviews in her underwear while she was a serving politician.[2] [3]
[edit] Political career
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Roger Garland (Green Party) |
Progressive Democrats Teachta Dála for Dublin South 1992–2007 |
Succeeded by Alan Shatter (Fine Gael) |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Pat Cox |
Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats 2006–2007 |
Succeeded by Noel Grealish |
| Preceded by Joan Burton |
Minister of State (with special responsibility for Overseas Development Assistance and Human Rights) 1997–2002 |
Succeeded by Tom Kitt |
| Preceded by Bobby Molloy |
Minister of State to the Government Apr. 2002–Jun. 2002 |
Succeeded by Office abolished |
