Ivor Callely - Career

Career

Callely was born in Clontarf, Dublin and was educated locally. He first became involved in politics in 1985 when he was elected to Dublin Corporation. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1987 general election but was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1989 general election and held his seat at the three subsequent general elections. In 1991 he became the youngest chairperson of the Eastern Health Board. At the 1997 general election he received the fifth highest vote in the country. This was followed up at the 1999 local elections when he received the highest vote in the country. Between 1993 and 1995 he served as Assistant Chief Whip in Fianna Fáil. From 1995 to 1997 he served as Fianna Fáil Policy Co-ordinator.

In 2002 Callely was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for services for older people. In Bertie Ahern's cabinet reshuffle of 2004 he became Minister of State at the Department of Transport where he had special responsibility for certain traffic management issues in Dublin and the major cities, road haulage and the Irish Aviation Authority.

On 8 December 2005, he resigned his cabinet post after an RTÉ News report that a building contractor involved in public contracts had painted his house for free in the early 1990s. It was also revealed that Callely had offered to personally buy a new car for one of his civil service advisers, in an attempt to persuade the adviser not to leave their job. Callely's department had an unusually high turnover of staff for some time under his stewardship.

He lost his seat at the 2007 general election and was also unsuccessful at the Seanad elections for the Industrial and Commercial Panel in 2007. He was subsequently appointed by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to the Seanad.

On 4 April 2011, Callely was fined €60 in court for using a mobile phone while driving.

He did not contest the 2011 general election or the 2011 Seanad election.