Tom O'Donnell

Thomas " Tom" G. O'Donnell (Irish Tomás Ó Domhnaill; born August 30, 1926 in Bulgaden, County Limerick ) is a former Irish politician of the Fine Gael.

Biography

O'Donnell, who was originally a journalist, began his political career as a candidate of the Fine Gael in 1961 with the first elected as a member of the lower house ( Dáil Éireann ). There he took after seven subsequent re- elections until 1987, the interests of the constituency of Limerick East.

After the election victory of Fine Gael in the general election in 1973, he was on 14 March 1973 by Taoiseach (Prime Minister ) Liam Cosgrave as Minister of the Irish-speaking areas ( Gaeltacht ). He continued in this function until the end of Cosgrave term of office on May 25, 1977 after the defeat in the elections to Dáil Éireann.

After the death of President Erskine Hamilton Childers on November 17, 1974 suffered from profound hearing O'Donnell caused a scandal. Originally, all parties agreed secretly, as Childers successor to nominate his widow Rita Childers; but before this even before it was notified to it and proclaims, led to the collapse of a misunderstanding of the agreement. Tom O'Donnell understood the question from a journalist for alleged nomination of Mrs. Childers wrong. He thought that the journalist already knew about the nomination decision and confirmed that Rita Childers was to be the new President of Ireland. The opposition of Fianna Fáil, in the opinion that the whole mess was staged by the government and this would suggest it political advantage, then withdrew from the agreement.

In 1979 he was also also elected a member of the 1st European Parliament. O'Donnell belonged to the European Parliament on during the second election period. In 1987 he suffered an election defeat and resigned not only from the Dáil Éireann, but also from the European Parliament.