Michael McNamara (politician)

Irish politician (born 1974)

Michael McNamara
McNamara in 2020
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 July 2024
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2020 – 17 July 2024
In office
February 2011 – February 2016
ConstituencyClare
Chairman of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Response
In office
12 May 2020 – 8 October 2020
Preceded byCommittee established
Succeeded byCommittee dissolved
Personal details
Born (1974-03-01) 1 March 1974 (age 50)
Limerick, Ireland
Political party
Sarah Jane Hillery
(m. 2015)
Children1
Alma mater
  • University College Cork
  • King's Inns

Michael McNamara (born 1 March 1974) is an Irish independent politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the South constituency since July 2024. He was previously a Teachta Dála (TD) for Clare from the 2020 general election to 2024, and from 2011 to 2016.[1]

McNamara was elected as a Labour Party TD for Clare at the 2011 general election.[2] He was a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine,[3] and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 2011 to 2016.[4] McNamara is a barrister and has worked at the OSCE and on human rights and democracy projects of the European Union and United Nations. He was an unsuccessful independent candidate at the 2009 European Parliament election for the North-West constituency.[2]

In May 2015, McNamara was expelled from the parliamentary Labour Party for voting against the government in the sale of Aer Lingus shares, the third time he voted against the government.[5] He rejoined the parliamentary Labour Party in September 2015.[6] He lost his seat at the 2016 general election.[2]

He was elected as an independent candidate for the Clare constituency at the 2020 general election. He was the Chairman of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Response from 12 May to 8 October 2020.[7] McNamara campaigned for a No-No vote in the March 2024 constitutional referendums as a member of the Lawyers for No group, alongside fellow barristers Senator Michael McDowell, Maria Steen and Brenda Power.[8][9]

McNamara was elected as an independent MEP for the South constituency at the 2024 European Parliament election.[10] He took office on 17 July 2024.[11] He sits with the Renew Europe parliamentary group.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Michael McNamara". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Michael McNamara". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  3. ^ "Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine – Membership". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  4. ^ "PACE Member File". Parliamentary Assembly Council of Europe. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Dáil votes for sale of State's Aer Lingus stake to IAG". RTÉ News. 29 May 2013.
  6. ^ Minihan, Mary (16 September 2015). "Michael McNamara set to rejoin Labour Party". The Irish Times.
  7. ^ "Special Committee on Covid-19 Response debate". Houses of the Oireachtas. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  8. ^ Carolan, Mary (29 February 2024). "Lawyers group urges No vote in family and care referendums". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  9. ^ Gleeson, Colin; Horgan-Jones, Jack (10 March 2024). "'We didn't do our job well enough': Minister of State criticises colleagues over referendum campaign". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  10. ^ "European Elections: South". RTÉ News. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  11. ^ Cunningham, Paul (17 June 2024). "The loopholes to avoiding four by-elections". RTÉ News.
  12. ^ De Melo Ponce, Clara (2 July 2024). "The Renew Europe Group welcomes Independent MEP Michael McNamara" (Press release). Renew Europe.
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Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for the Clare constituency
This table is transcluded from Clare (Dáil constituency). (edit | history)
Dáil Election Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
Deputy
(Party)
2nd 1921 Éamon de Valera
(SF)
Brian O'Higgins
(SF)
Seán Liddy
(SF)
Patrick Brennan
(SF)
4 seats
1921–1923
3rd 1922 Éamon de Valera
(AT-SF)
Brian O'Higgins
(AT-SF)
Seán Liddy
(PT-SF)
Patrick Brennan
(PT-SF)
4th 1923 Éamon de Valera
(Rep)
Brian O'Higgins
(Rep)
Conor Hogan
(FP)
Eoin MacNeill
(CnaG)
Patrick Hogan
(Lab)
5th 1927 (Jun) Éamon de Valera
(FF)
Patrick Houlihan
(FF)
Thomas Falvey
(FP)
Patrick Kelly
(CnaG)
6th 1927 (Sep) Martin Sexton
(FF)
7th 1932 Seán O'Grady
(FF)
Patrick Burke
(CnaG)
8th 1933 Patrick Houlihan
(FF)
9th 1937 Thomas Burke
(FP)
Patrick Burke
(FG)
10th 1938 Peter O'Loghlen
(FF)
11th 1943 Patrick Hogan
(Lab)
12th 1944 Peter O'Loghlen
(FF)
1945 by-election Patrick Shanahan
(FF)
13th 1948 Patrick Hogan
(Lab)
4 seats
1948–1969
14th 1951 Patrick Hillery
(FF)
William Murphy
(FG)
15th 1954
16th 1957
1959 by-election Seán Ó Ceallaigh
(FF)
17th 1961
18th 1965
1968 by-election Sylvester Barrett
(FF)
19th 1969 Frank Taylor
(FG)
3 seats
1969–1981
20th 1973 Brendan Daly
(FF)
21st 1977
22nd 1981 Madeleine Taylor
(FG)
Bill Loughnane
(FF)
4 seats
since 1981
23rd 1982 (Feb) Donal Carey
(FG)
24th 1982 (Nov) Madeleine Taylor-Quinn
(FG)
25th 1987 Síle de Valera
(FF)
26th 1989
27th 1992 Moosajee Bhamjee
(Lab)
Tony Killeen
(FF)
28th 1997 Brendan Daly
(FF)
29th 2002 Pat Breen
(FG)
James Breen
(Ind)
30th 2007 Joe Carey
(FG)
Timmy Dooley
(FF)
31st 2011 Michael McNamara
(Lab)
32nd 2016 Michael Harty
(Ind)
33rd 2020 Violet-Anne Wynne
(SF)
Cathal Crowe
(FF)
Michael McNamara
(Ind)
2024
(Vacant)

(Vacant)
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