Séamus Pattison

Infobox Officeholder
name =Séamus Pattison
small

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imagesize =200px
order=Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil Éireann
term_start =1997
term_end =2002
predecessor =Seán Treacy
successor =Rory O'Hanlon
birth_date =birth date and age|1936|4|19|df=yes
birth_place =Kilkenny, Ireland
constituency= Carlow-Kilkenny
party= Labour Party

Séamus Pattison ( _ga. Séamus Mac Pháidin; born 19 April 1936), is a former Irish Labour Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for Carlow-Kilkenny from 1961–2007 and was Ceann Comhairle "(Speaker)" of Dáil Éireann from 1997–2002. Pattison was a member of the Presidential Commission (acting head of state) from 12 September, to 10 November 1997.

He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. His father, former Labour Party TD James Pattison represented Carlow-Kilkenny from 1933–57. After his education the young Pattison became a full time trade union official, serving with the Irish Transport & General Workers Union (ITGWU). He unsuccessfully contested the June 1960 Carlow-Kilkenny by-election but was elected in the 1961 general election to the 17th Dáil and held the seat at eleven further general elections.

Pattison served as Mayor of Kilkenny on three occasions, 1967, 1976 and 1992. [cite web |url=http://www.kilkennycity.ie/eng/Your_Council/The_Sovereigns_and_Mayors_of_Kilkenny_1282-2003/ |title=The Sovereigns and Mayors of Kilkenny 1282-2003 |publisher=Kilkenny Borough Council |accessdate=2008-01-08] In 1981 he became an Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Leinster to replace Liam Kavanagh who became Minister for Labour following the 1981 general election. Pattison resigned as an MEP in 1983 when he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare.

He was unanimously elected Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann on 26 June 1997, serving for the entire 28th Dáil. When the 29th Dáil assembled after the 2002 general election he was replaced by Rory O'Hanlon, but was appointed as Leas-Cheann Comhairle ("Deputy Speaker") for the 29th Dáil.

He was also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

In September 2005 he announced he would retire at the 2007 general election, and his nephew Eoin Pattison unsuccessfully sought the nomination. Labour county councillor Michael O'Brien was selected in February 2006 to contest the seat, which was won by Mary White of the Green Party.

When Pattison retired from politics at the 2007 general election, he had served in Dáil Éireann for 45 years and 7 months, making him the 5th longest serving TD ever and the longest ever serving Labour Party TD. He was the longest serving sitting TD from 1995–2007 and had the informal title of "Father of the Dáil".

References

*Oireachtas-database

ee also

*List of TDs for Carlow Kilkenny
*Families in the Oireachtas

External links

* [http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1 Séamus Pattison's electoral history] (ElectionsIreland.org)
* [http://ceanncomhairle.oireachtas.ie/default.asp An Ceann Comhairle (Chairman of Dáil Éireann)]
* [http://www.rte.ie/tv/openhouse/2004/0114/SeaPat.html RTÉ Feature on Séamus Pattison]

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