Martin Cullen
Encyclopedia
Martin Cullen is a former Irish
Fianna Fáil
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Waterford constituency
. Cullen was a member of Seanad Éireann
(1989–1992) and served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (2002–2004), Minister for Transport
(2004–2007) and Minister for Social and Family Affairs
(2007–2008) and as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
from 2008–2010.
in 1954. He was educated at Waterpark College
and the Regional Technical College, Waterford
. He is married and has four children – three sons and one daughter. However, in late 2004 he stated that he was separated from his wife, Dorothy.
Cullen's father and grandfather had been Mayor of Waterford, a position Martin Cullen himself later occupied in 1993–94.
Cullen worked as a sales manager for a wine company before becoming interested in politics.
at the 1987 general election
, the first election after the party was founded. During his first period as a TD he served as his party's spokesperson on Tourism, Transport and Communications (1987–1988) and Industry and Commerce (1988–1989). Cullen lost his seat at the 1989 general election
but was subsequently nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann
. During the intervening period he was elected to Waterford City Council, before returning to the Dáil at the 1992 general election
.
The following year he was appointed party spokesperson on Enterprise and Employment. In 1994 Cullen became disillusioned with the new party leader, Mary Harney
, when he was not allowed stand as a candidate in the European elections. He subsequently resigned from the party, eventually joining Fianna Fáil
.
–Progressive Democrats
coalition government came to power and Cullen was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
After the Government's re-election in 2002, Cullen joined the Cabinet as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. As minister responsible for elections, his department was responsible for the voting system used. When Electronic voting
was proposed for the 2004 Local and European elections, he stood by the proposed system despite opposition from within the Dáil
and from some members of the public. When the system was scrapped his reputation was damaged. Arguably more significantly in the long term, he was also the Minister responsible for the Planning and Development(Amendment) Act, 2002. This act amended Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to remove the requirement for builders to provide social housing on 20% of their developments. Instead, Cullen's plan allowed builders to subvert this requirement by paying the local council instead and thus ensured that a central motivation of the 2000 Act, namely to avoid run down council estates by integrating public and private housing, was overthrown. As of March 2006 the vast majority of builders have successfully avoided integrating social housing in their new developments and instead opted for making a payment to the local council
.
In a cabinet reshuffle in 2004 Cullen was appointed Minister for Transport
. During that appointment he became embroiled in even more controversy. Two independent reports have cleared him of any wrong-doing in the awarding of lucrative Public Relations contracts to Monica Leech, who subsequently became President of Waterford Chambers of Commerce.
With the support of a majority of Dáil Éireann, he was the minister responsible for the stock market floatation of Aer Lingus
, Ireland's national airline.
According to the government this was done as the EU would not easily permit direct government investment in the airline.
The sale included Aer Lingus' access slots to various airports including London Heathrow Airport
. Some critics at the time suggested that it was important that Ireland, as an island nation, retain control of an airline in order to ensure connectivity to nearby countries.
In May 2005, Minister Cullen told Dáil Éireann that "in the context of any decision to reduce State ownership in Aer Lingus, all the options available within the regulatory framework will be examined to ensure adequate ongoing access to Heathrow for Irish consumers". Others, including members of Seanad Éireann
and Dáil Éireann
raised the issue of the Heathrow slots.
Shortly after the privatisation, Irish-based private airline Ryanair
attempted a takeover of Aer Lingus which was eventually blocked by other shareholders including the government (who retained a 28.3% share), Aer Lingus employee groups and Irish businessman Denis O'Brien
. Cullen maintained throughout that the sale of Aer Lingus was "the right decision".
In August 2007, Aer Lingus announced that it would cease flying from Shannon Airport
to London Heathrow Airport, instead using its Heathrow slots to fly from Belfast International Airport
in Northern Ireland. This decision caused considerable controversy in the Republic of Ireland. principally due to the loss of connectivity from businesses in the West of Ireland to a major international hub. Local representatives in the Shannon area have claimed that Minister Cullen ignored calls to ring-fence slots for Shannon airport. The airport access slots are held by Aer Lingus for historical reasons, as the national carrier for the Republic of Ireland. This was the first time since the privatisation of Aer Lingus that traditional Irish slots were transferred outside the state. Aer Lingus has admitted that they have further slots to lease at Heathrow. It has also been revealed that they intended removing flights from Cork Airport.
.
On 7 May 2008, when Brian Cowen
became Taoiseach
, Cullen was appointed as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
. He commented a week later, "My private life has all been about the arts. There's probably not an opera theatre in the world that I haven't been in, all in my own private time, I hasten to add".
In December 2008 he courted controversy by commenting on national radio that he would be supportive of having an Irish football club taking part in England's Premier League, despite the damage such a development would have on domestic football in Ireland, and the comments were also seen as unsuitable for the Minister for Arts, Sports, and Tourism. His comments that he would like to "see a European [football] team playing out of Dublin” suggested he was not aware of, or interested in, the six Dublin-based teams currently playing in domestic football.
In March 2009, a helicopter which was carrying him from Killarney
to Dublin made an emergency landing shortly after take-off, because a door had fallen off. The minister was uninjured, but was reported to be "shaken". It was reported that the flight had cost nearly €6,000. Cullen dismissed criticism at his use of the Air Corps helicopter, and said there had been no unnecessary spending on his travel.
On 21 January 2010, he published his speech to the forum on Defamation Law, in which he spoke of his experiences of false allegations of adultery in the press. He felt "like waking up every morning and being raped", that he had been photographed on the front pages of Sunday newspapers for 13 consecutive weeks and that his sons had "had the living daylights" beaten out of them for defending their father's honour and had to be removed from school due to "horrendous bullying". Cullen described how he had been pursued by the media, with reporters harassing him, photographers following him, even once a photograph of him, the Taoiseach and his secretary, and a third man at a state function was altered to make it appear he was dining alone with the woman. The impacts on one’s life are completely horrendous. I would go so far as to say in my case they are life-changing." he said. He later defended his use of the word "rape".
Cullen announced his resignation from his ministerial office and as a TD on 8 March 2010, due to a back ailment that had been troubling him severely in the preceding months. He stepped down on 23 March 2010 when Brian Cowen
announced a cabinet reshuffle.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Waterford constituency
Waterford (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Waterford is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies...
. Cullen was a member of Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
(1989–1992) and served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (2002–2004), Minister for Transport
Minister for Transport (Ireland)
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
(2004–2007) and Minister for Social and Family Affairs
Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Social Protection is the senior minister at the Department of Social Protection in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Social Protection is Joan Burton, TD.-Overview:...
(2007–2008) and as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is the senior minister at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the Government of Ireland.The current minister is Jimmy Deenihan, TD. He is assisted by:...
from 2008–2010.
Background, early and private life
Martin Cullen was born in WaterfordWaterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
in 1954. He was educated at Waterpark College
Waterpark College
Waterpark College is a secondary school in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The school was established in 1892 on the banks of the River Suir as Waterford's first Classical school, and still provides a secondary education to boys from Waterford City, County and the surrounding area. Its principal,...
and the Regional Technical College, Waterford
Waterford Institute of Technology
Waterford Institute of Technology is a state funded third-level educational institution situated in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The Institute has six Schools and 16 Departments....
. He is married and has four children – three sons and one daughter. However, in late 2004 he stated that he was separated from his wife, Dorothy.
Cullen's father and grandfather had been Mayor of Waterford, a position Martin Cullen himself later occupied in 1993–94.
Cullen worked as a sales manager for a wine company before becoming interested in politics.
Political career
Cullen was one of 14 Progressive Democrat TDs elected to Dáil ÉireannDáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the 1987 general election
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
, the first election after the party was founded. During his first period as a TD he served as his party's spokesperson on Tourism, Transport and Communications (1987–1988) and Industry and Commerce (1988–1989). Cullen lost his seat at the 1989 general election
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
but was subsequently nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
. During the intervening period he was elected to Waterford City Council, before returning to the Dáil at the 1992 general election
Irish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
.
The following year he was appointed party spokesperson on Enterprise and Employment. In 1994 Cullen became disillusioned with the new party leader, Mary Harney
Mary Harney
Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...
, when he was not allowed stand as a candidate in the European elections. He subsequently resigned from the party, eventually joining Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
.
Ahern Government
In 1997 a Fianna FáilFianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
–Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
coalition government came to power and Cullen was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
After the Government's re-election in 2002, Cullen joined the Cabinet as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. As minister responsible for elections, his department was responsible for the voting system used. When Electronic voting
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
was proposed for the 2004 Local and European elections, he stood by the proposed system despite opposition from within the Dáil
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
and from some members of the public. When the system was scrapped his reputation was damaged. Arguably more significantly in the long term, he was also the Minister responsible for the Planning and Development(Amendment) Act, 2002. This act amended Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to remove the requirement for builders to provide social housing on 20% of their developments. Instead, Cullen's plan allowed builders to subvert this requirement by paying the local council instead and thus ensured that a central motivation of the 2000 Act, namely to avoid run down council estates by integrating public and private housing, was overthrown. As of March 2006 the vast majority of builders have successfully avoided integrating social housing in their new developments and instead opted for making a payment to the local council
Local Council
A Local Council is a form of local elected government within the districts of Uganda. They were initially established as rebel support structures in the areas controlled by the National Resistance Army of Yoweri Museveni. At this time, they were known as Resistance Councils and proved...
.
In a cabinet reshuffle in 2004 Cullen was appointed Minister for Transport
Minister for Transport (Ireland)
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
. During that appointment he became embroiled in even more controversy. Two independent reports have cleared him of any wrong-doing in the awarding of lucrative Public Relations contracts to Monica Leech, who subsequently became President of Waterford Chambers of Commerce.
With the support of a majority of Dáil Éireann, he was the minister responsible for the stock market floatation of Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
, Ireland's national airline.
According to the government this was done as the EU would not easily permit direct government investment in the airline.
The sale included Aer Lingus' access slots to various airports including London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. Some critics at the time suggested that it was important that Ireland, as an island nation, retain control of an airline in order to ensure connectivity to nearby countries.
In May 2005, Minister Cullen told Dáil Éireann that "in the context of any decision to reduce State ownership in Aer Lingus, all the options available within the regulatory framework will be examined to ensure adequate ongoing access to Heathrow for Irish consumers". Others, including members of Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
and Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
raised the issue of the Heathrow slots.
Shortly after the privatisation, Irish-based private airline Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
attempted a takeover of Aer Lingus which was eventually blocked by other shareholders including the government (who retained a 28.3% share), Aer Lingus employee groups and Irish businessman Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien
Denis O'Brien is an Irish businessman with international connections. An Arts graduate of University College Dublin, O'Brien has received a MBA in corporate finance from Boston College in 1982, and was later given an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin.O'Brien has involvement with...
. Cullen maintained throughout that the sale of Aer Lingus was "the right decision".
In August 2007, Aer Lingus announced that it would cease flying from Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
to London Heathrow Airport, instead using its Heathrow slots to fly from Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
in Northern Ireland. This decision caused considerable controversy in the Republic of Ireland. principally due to the loss of connectivity from businesses in the West of Ireland to a major international hub. Local representatives in the Shannon area have claimed that Minister Cullen ignored calls to ring-fence slots for Shannon airport. The airport access slots are held by Aer Lingus for historical reasons, as the national carrier for the Republic of Ireland. This was the first time since the privatisation of Aer Lingus that traditional Irish slots were transferred outside the state. Aer Lingus has admitted that they have further slots to lease at Heathrow. It has also been revealed that they intended removing flights from Cork Airport.
30th Daíl
Following the 2007 general election, he was appointed as Minister for Social and Family AffairsMinister for Social and Family Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Social Protection is the senior minister at the Department of Social Protection in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Social Protection is Joan Burton, TD.-Overview:...
.
On 7 May 2008, when Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
became Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Cullen was appointed as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is the senior minister at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the Government of Ireland.The current minister is Jimmy Deenihan, TD. He is assisted by:...
. He commented a week later, "My private life has all been about the arts. There's probably not an opera theatre in the world that I haven't been in, all in my own private time, I hasten to add".
In December 2008 he courted controversy by commenting on national radio that he would be supportive of having an Irish football club taking part in England's Premier League, despite the damage such a development would have on domestic football in Ireland, and the comments were also seen as unsuitable for the Minister for Arts, Sports, and Tourism. His comments that he would like to "see a European [football] team playing out of Dublin” suggested he was not aware of, or interested in, the six Dublin-based teams currently playing in domestic football.
In March 2009, a helicopter which was carrying him from Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
to Dublin made an emergency landing shortly after take-off, because a door had fallen off. The minister was uninjured, but was reported to be "shaken". It was reported that the flight had cost nearly €6,000. Cullen dismissed criticism at his use of the Air Corps helicopter, and said there had been no unnecessary spending on his travel.
On 21 January 2010, he published his speech to the forum on Defamation Law, in which he spoke of his experiences of false allegations of adultery in the press. He felt "like waking up every morning and being raped", that he had been photographed on the front pages of Sunday newspapers for 13 consecutive weeks and that his sons had "had the living daylights" beaten out of them for defending their father's honour and had to be removed from school due to "horrendous bullying". Cullen described how he had been pursued by the media, with reporters harassing him, photographers following him, even once a photograph of him, the Taoiseach and his secretary, and a third man at a state function was altered to make it appear he was dining alone with the woman. The impacts on one’s life are completely horrendous. I would go so far as to say in my case they are life-changing." he said. He later defended his use of the word "rape".
Cullen announced his resignation from his ministerial office and as a TD on 8 March 2010, due to a back ailment that had been troubling him severely in the preceding months. He stepped down on 23 March 2010 when Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
announced a cabinet reshuffle.