John Halligan (politician)
| John Halligan TD | |
|---|---|
 Halligan in 2011 | |
| Minister of State for Training and Skills | |
|
Assumed office 19 May 2016 | |
| Taoiseach | Enda Kenny |
| Preceded by | Damien English |
| Teachta Dála | |
|
Assumed office February 2011 | |
| Constituency | Waterford |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
18 January 1955 Waterford, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Sonia Halligan |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Waterford Institute of Technology |
John Halligan (born January 1955) is an Irish independent politician.[1] He was elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Waterford constituency at the 2011 general election. He was first elected to the Waterford City Council in 1999 for the Workers' Party of Ireland.
At the 2004 local elections he topped the poll in Waterford No. 3 electoral area. In February 2008 he resigned from the Workers' Party when the party refused to drop its opposition to service charges, which Halligan supported.[2] In 2009, as an independent candidate, Halligan again topped the poll in his area.[3] After the 2009 elections, Halligan entered into a pact with the Labour Party and Fine Gael on Waterford City Council and was duly elected Mayor of Waterford city serving from 2009 to 2010. He was an unsuccessful Workers' Party candidate for the Waterford constituency at the 2002 and 2007 general elections.[3]
He was elected as TD for Waterford at the 2011 general election receiving 5,546 first preference votes (10.3%) and was elected on the 11th count.[3] Following his election to the Dáil in February 2011, Sean Reinhardt was co-opted to replace Halligan on Waterford City Council.[4] In March 2011, Halligan joined the Dáil technical group allowing himself more speaking time in Dáil debates.[5] On 15 December 2011, he helped launch a nationwide campaign against a proposed household charge being brought in as part of the 2012 Irish budget.[6]
He joined the Independent Alliance upon its inception in 2015.[7] On 27 February 2016, he was re-elected as TD for Waterford at the general election, receiving 8,306 first preference votes and was elected on the 8th count. After a spell of prolonged talks on government formation, Halligan voted Enda Kenny as Taoiseach on 6 May 2016, allowing Kenny to become the first Fine Gael leader re-elected to this office.[8]
References
- ↑ "Mr. John Halligan". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ↑ "Workers' Party asks Halligan for his seat". Munster Express. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 "John Halligan". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ↑ "Reinhardt takes City Council seat". Munster Express. 15 April 2011.
- ↑ "TDs agree to form technical group". The Irish Times. 9 March 2011.
- ↑ "TDs would go to jail over household charge". RTÉ News. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ↑ "Feargal Quinn to announce he is to join Independent Alliance". The Irish Times. 29 June 2015.
- ↑ "Enda Kenny is re-elected as Taoiseach in the Dáil". Newstalk. 6 May 2016.
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Martin Cullen John Deasy Brendan Kenneally Brian O'Shea |
Teachta Dála for Waterford 2011–present With: Paudie Coffey 2011–16 Ciara Conway 2011–16 John Deasy 2002–present Mary Butler 2016–present David Cullinane 2016–present |
Incumbent |
| Civic offices | ||
| Preceded by Jack Walsh |
Mayor of Waterford 2009–2010 |
Succeeded by Mary Roche |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Martin O'Regan? |
Vice President of the Workers' Party of Ireland 2001?–2008 |
Succeeded by Post vacant? |