Séamus Pattison
Encyclopedia
Séamus Pattison is a former Irish
Labour Party
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny
constituency from 1961–2007 and was Ceann Comhairle
(chairman) of Dáil Éireann
from 1997–2002.
He was born in Kilkenny
, Ireland
. His father was Labour Party TD James Pattison
, who represented Carlow–Kilkenny from 1933–57. After his education the young Pattison became a full time trade union official, serving with the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU). He unsuccessfully contested the Carlow–Kilkenny by-election in June 1960 but was elected at 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. In 1981 he became a 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 Chairman) 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 but was unsuccessful.
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
.
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,...
Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
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 Carlow–Kilkenny
Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Carlow–Kilkenny is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
constituency from 1961–2007 and was Ceann Comhairle
Ceann Comhairle
The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...
(chairman) of 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...
from 1997–2002.
He was born in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Ireland
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,...
. His father was Labour Party TD James Pattison
James Pattison
James P. Pattison was an Irish Labour Party politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann on his second attempt at the 1933 general election for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency....
, who represented Carlow–Kilkenny from 1933–57. After his education the young Pattison became a full time trade union official, serving with the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU). He unsuccessfully contested the Carlow–Kilkenny by-election in June 1960 but was elected at the 1961 general election
Irish general election, 1961
The Irish general election of 1961 was held on 4 October 1961, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 8 September. The newly elected members of the 17th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 11 October when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took...
to the 17th Dáil and held the seat at eleven further general elections.
Pattison served as Mayor of Kilkenny
Mayor of Kilkenny
The Mayor of Kilkenny is an honorific title used by the of Kilkenny Borough Council. The Council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area which is the city of Kilkenny in the Republic of Ireland. The office was established in the 16th century and had significant powers. The office was...
on three occasions; 1967, 1976 and 1992. In 1981 he became a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) for Leinster
Leinster (European Parliament constituency)
-1999 election:Alan Gillis lost his seat to his party running mate Avril Doyle.-1994 election:Alan Gillis replaced his party colleague Patrick Cooney who had stepped down...
to replace Liam Kavanagh
Liam Kavanagh
Liam Kavanagh is a former Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1969 general election as a Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency. He remained in the Dáil until losing his seat at the 1997 general election...
who became Minister for Labour
Minister for Labour (Ireland)
The Minister for Labour was originally the name of a government department in the Government of the Irish Republic, the self-declared state which was established in 1919 by Dáil Éireann, the parliamentary assembly made up of the majority of Irish MPs elected in the 1918 general election. Constance...
following the 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
. Pattison resigned as an MEP in 1983 when he was appointed Minister of State
Minister of State (Ireland)
A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....
at the Department of Social Welfare.
He was unanimously elected Ceann Comhairle
Ceann Comhairle
The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...
of 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...
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
Rory O'Hanlon
Rory O'Hanlon is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency from 1977 until 2011, and also served in a range of cabinet positions and as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann....
, but was appointed as Leas-Cheann Comhairle
Ceann Comhairle
The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...
(Deputy Chairman) for the 29th Dáil.
He was also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
.
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 but was unsuccessful.
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
Father of the Dáil
In the Republic of Ireland, the term Father of the Dáil is an unofficial title applied to the current member of Dáil Éireann with the longest unbroken period of service, regardless of their position...
.