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Seán Canney

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Seán Canney
TD
Canney in 2015
Minister of State
2018–2020Rural and Community Development
2018–2020Communications, Climate Action and Environment
2016–2017Public Expenditure and Reform
Teachta Dála
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 2016
ConstituencyGalway East
Personal details
Born (1960-04-06) 6 April 1960 (age 64)
Belclare, County Galway, Ireland
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Independent Alliance
(2016–2018)
Spouse
Geraldine McHugh
​
(m. 1997)​
Children3
Alma materInstitute of Technology, Sligo
Websiteseancanney.com

Seán Canney (born 6 April 1960) is an Irish independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway East constituency since 2016.[1] He served as a Minister of State from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2018 to 2020.

A native of Belclare, Tuam, County Galway. Canney was campaign manager for his brother-in-law, Paddy McHugh, in the 2002 general election, in which McHugh gained a seat in the Galway East constituency.[2]

As an independent candidate, Canney was elected to Galway County Council in 2004, on his first attempt. He was re-elected in each of the subsequent local elections in 2009 and 2014. In both the 2009 and 2014 elections, he topped the poll in the Tuam local electoral area.[3]

He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2011 general election in the Galway East constituency, receiving 5,567 first preference votes.[3]

He served as Mayor of County Galway for the term 2007 to 2008, and served on a number of boards and committees. He joined the Independent Alliance in advance of the 2016 general election. At the 2016 general election, he topped the poll in Galway East, securing 8,447 first preference votes.[4] After lengthy government formation talks, the Independent Alliance supported the nomination of Enda Kenny as Taoiseach on 6 May 2016, allowing Kenny to become the first leader of Fine Gael to be re-appointed to this office.[5]

He was appointed a member of the Committee on Housing and Homelessness, a position he held until his appointment on 19 May 2016 by the new government as Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief.[6][7] He served in that position until 3 June 2017, when he was succeeded by Kevin "Boxer" Moran, part of an arrangement within the Independent Alliance.[8][9]

He has advocated the reopening the Western Rail Corridor to trains from Galway to Claremorris.[10][11]

He left the Independent Alliance in May 2018, but continued to support the government.[12]

In a reshuffle after the resignation of Denis Naughten from cabinet, Canney returned to the ministerial ranks on 16 October 2018. On 13 October 2018, he was appointed by the government on nomination by Leo Varadkar as Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment with special responsibility for natural resources, community affairs and digital development.[13][14][15][16]

Canney was re-elected at the February 2020 general election. He stayed in ministerial office until the formation of a new government on 27 June 2020. He sits in the Regional Group in the 33rd Dáil.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Seán Canney". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  2. ^ Andrews, Kernan (24 February 2011). "Fine Gael and Canney to be big winners in Galway East". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Seán Canney". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Election 2016 - Galway East". The Irish Times. 27 February 2016. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Enda Kenny is re-elected as Taoiseach in the Dáil". Newstalk. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  6. ^ "2016 Edition, No. 47" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 10 June 2016. p. 805. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Taoiseach appoints four Ministers of State to Department of Health". Newstalk HQ, Marconi House, Digges Lane, Dublin 2. 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  8. ^ "2017 Edition, No. 46" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 9 June 2017. p. 789. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Moran takes up ministerial role in coin-flip deal". RTÉ.ie. 3 June 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  10. ^ Doyle, Kevin (5 May 2016). "Pressure mounts on FG to invest in Western Rail Corridor". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Western Rail Corridor crucial for the future development of the West". seancanney.com. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Canney announces departure from Independent Alliance". RTÉ News. 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  13. ^ "2018 Edition, No. 86" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 26 October 2018. p. 1476. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  14. ^ Rural and Community Development (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 511 of 2018). Signed on 6 November 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 30 December 2020.
  15. ^ Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. No. 472 of 2018). Signed on 13 November 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 20 March 2021.
  16. ^ Fitzgerald, Martina (13 October 2018). "Bruton named Minister for Communications, McHugh named Minister for Education". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief
2016–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development
2018–2020 		Office abolished
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