Denis O'Donovan

Senator Denis O'Donovan
CathaoirleachofSeanad Éireann
In office 8 June 2016 – 29 June 2020
Preceded by	Paddy Burke
Succeeded by	Mark Daly
Leas-ChathaoirleachofSeanad Éireann
In office 25 May 2011 – 8 June 2016
Cathaoirleach	Paddy Burke
Preceded by	Paddy Burke
Succeeded by	Paul Coghlan
Senator
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 May 2011
Constituency	Agricultural Panel
In office 13 September 2007 – 25 May 2011
In office 17 September 1997 – 17 May 2002
Constituency	Industrial and Commercial Panel
In office 1 November 1989 – 17 February 1993
Constituency	Nominated by the Taoiseach
Teachta Dála
In office May 2002–May 2007
Constituency	Cork South-West
Personal details
Born	(1955-07-23)23 July 1955 Bantry,County Cork,Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Alma mater	University College Cork

Denis O'Donovan(born 23 July 1955) is an IrishFianna Fáilpolitician who served as aSenatorfor theAgricultural Panelsince April 2011. He previously served asCathaoirleachofSeanad Éireannfrom 2016 to 2020 andLeas-ChathaoirleachofSeanad Éireannfrom 2011 to 2016. He served as aTeachta Dála(TD) for theCork South-Westconstituency from 2002 to 2007.

A native ofBantry,County Cork,he was elected toCork County Councilin 1985, and re-elected in 1991 and 1999. He wasnominated by the Taoiseachto the Seanad in 1989. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1993 Seanad election but was elected to the Seanad in 1997 as a Senator for theIndustrial and Commercial Panel.O'Donovan was elected toDáil Éireann,on his fifth attempt, at the2002 general electionfor theCork South-Westconstituency. He lost his Dáil seat at the2007 general election,however, he was subsequently elected to the Seanad.

O'Donovan was the Chair of the all-partyOireachtasCommittee on theConstitution,established in December 2002 to review the Constitution. He has a degree in law fromUniversity College Corkand is a qualified solicitor.

In June 2010, he lost the Fianna Fáil parliamentaryparty whipwhen he failed to support the government on the Dog Breeding Establishment bill.He was a Fianna Fáil candidate at the2011 general electionfor Cork South-West but was not elected. He was re-elected to the Seanad in April 2011. He wasLeas-Chathaoirleach(Deputy Chairperson) of the24th Seanad.He was re-elected again toSeanad Éireannon theAgricultural Panelin April 2016 and again in April 2020.

He served asCathaoirleachofSeanad Éireannfrom 8 June 2016 until 29 June 2020. He is the Fianna Fáil Seanad spokesperson on Marine and Fisheries.

External links

• Denis O'Donovan's page on the Fianna Fáil website