Senator appointed Seanad Whip by Taoiseach

In 2020 Senator O’Reilly served as Leas Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.

Published: Thu 26 Jan 2023, 1:44 PM

Cavan Fine Gael Senator Joe O’Reilly has been appointed as Seanad Whip by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

It means that the two senior Whip posts in the upper house are held by locally sitting Senators, after Fianna Fail’s Robbie Gallagher was appointed Government Whip in the Seanad earlier this month.

Senator Reilly has also been appointed as Fine Gael’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs in the Seanad.

He has in the past served on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and was elected as one of the Vice Presidents.

In 2020 Senator O’Reilly served as Leas Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.

I have been appointed @FineGael Seanad Whip today by An Taoiseach Dr. @LeoVaradkar and also Foreign Affairs Spokesperson. I appreciate his confidence in me and look forward to working with all parties and Independents in @OireachtasNews. pic.twitter.com/Iwa2wbrkSd
— Senator Joe O'Reilly (@senjoeoreilly) January 26, 2023

The Bailieborough native was first elected to the Seanad in 1989, serving until 1992 with a gap of 15 years, before he was elected again in 2007.

He served until 2011 when he was elected to the Dáil.

Senator O’Reilly lost his seat in 2016, but was subsequently elected to the Seanad on the Labour panel.

He did not contest the last Dáil general election in Cavan-Monaghan, instead making party colleague Councillor TP O’Reilly.

Senator O’Reilly announced his appointment on social media, noting in response to the Taoiseach Mr Varadkar: “I appreciate his confidence in me and look forward to working with all parties and Independents”.