Joe Costello (politician)

Joe Costello
Minister of State
2011–2014	Foreign Affairs and Trade
Teachta Dála
In office May 2002–February 2016
In office November 1992–June 1997
Constituency	Dublin Central
Senator
In office 24 July 1997 – 12 May 2002
In office 30 November 1989 – 27 November 1992
Constituency	Administrative Panel
Personal details
Born	(1945-07-13)13 July 1945 Geevagh,County Sligo,Ireland
Political party	Labour Party
Spouse	Emer Costello ​ (m.1994)​
Children	2
Relatives	Mary Moran(sister-in-law)
Education	Summerhill College
Alma mater	St Patrick's College, Maynooth University College Dublin

Joseph Costello(born 13 July 1945) is an Irish formerLabour Partypolitician who was a member ofDublin City Councilfrom 2019 to 2023. He served as aMinister of Statefrom 2011 to 2014. He was aTeachta Dála(TD) for theDublin Centralconstituency from 1992 to 1997 and 2000 to 2016.

He also served as a member of the Dublin City Council from 1999 to 2002. He was aSenatorfor theAdministrative Panelfrom 1989 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2002.In July 2023, he announced his retirement from politics.

Early life

Costello was born inGeevagh,County Sligoand was educated atSummerhill College,Sligo,St Patrick's College, MaynoothandUniversity College Dublin.He worked as a secondary school teacher before becoming a full-time public representative.

Political career

Costello's office in 2007

In 1985, along withTony GregoryandChristy Burke,Costello was arrested for protesting alongside market traders against casual trading legislation that had been introduced; he spent a week in prison.

He joined theLabour Partyin 1985, and first stood for the party in the1987 general election;contesting the Dublin Central constituency, he received 3.2% of the vote (1,305 votes) and was the final candidate eliminated in the constituency. In 1989 he was elected to the19th Seanad Éireannas a Senator for theAdministrative Panel.He remained there until the1992 general electionwhen he was elected toDáil Éireann.Costello lost his seat at the1997 general electionbut was subsequently elected to the Seanad again. Costello was re-elected to the Dáil at the2002and2007general elections.

He was a member of Dublin City Council from 1999 until the end of the dual mandate led to him passing the seat to his wifeEmer Costello.He was re-elected to the council in2019.

He was director of elections forMichael D. Higginsduring the2011 presidential election.

On 20 December 2011, he was appointed by theFine Gael–Labour governmentasMinister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Tradewith responsibility for Trade and Development, a position he served in until 15 July 2014.He was dropped as a Minister of State in a reshuffle in July 2014.He was then appointed to the DáilPublic Accounts Committee.

At aSinn Féinorganised bo xing charity fundraiser on 15 February 2014, Costello and his wife took a photo with gangland criminalGerry Hutch.On 14 February 2016, 16 days before the2016 general election(in which Costello was a candidate), theIrish Daily Mailpublished an article titled "Hypocrisy", calling Costello a hypocrite for condemning gang violence after the death of Edward Hutch (Gerry Hutch's brother) but being seen in a photograph with gang leaders. Costello responded: "...there were dozens of photographs taken. People were constantly coming in behind us into the photographs. I had no idea who was in that particular photo except myself, my wife and the lady in the front".Joan Burton,the thenTánaistedefended him and said "politicians do not know everyone they take photos with".Costello then sued theIrish Daily Mailfor defamation.In May 2019, the case was settled and theIrish Daily Mailread out an apology to Costello and his wife in court.

In October 2015 on the "Saturday with Claire Byrne"RTÉradio show, Costello mistakenly referred to Nicky Kehoe (a one-timeProvisional IRAmember and the Sinn Féin director of elections) as the "IRA's former chief of staff in Dublin" but made sure not to name him. The producer of the radio show pressed the "talk back button" which is a button that alerts the presenter (Claire Byrne) to intervene. Byrne did not intervene and Sinn Féin member,Eoin Ó Broinbegan defending Kehoe, accidentally naming him. Costello then backed down on his claim about Kehoe's high-profile involvement in the IRA. Kehoe responded to the incident by suing RTÉ for defamation. In February 2018, the court proceedings began. The jury found RTÉ was 35% at fault and Costello was 65%. Kehoe was awarded €3,500. In 2020, Costello sued the state and RTÉ because he wasn't invited to the court proceedings effectively denying him the right to defend himself, breaching the European Convention on Human Rights.

He was deputyLord Mayor of Dublinfrom 2021 to 2022. In July 2023, he announced his retirement from politics, Deborah Byrne was selected by the Labour party to replace him.

Retirement

In August 2023, after he had announced his retirement, he was invited by some locals to go to a meeting in Aughrim Street, Dublin aboutUkrainian refugeesbeing given help in the local sports hall. Around 300 people, some wearing masks marched up Prussia Street, blocking traffic. Costello continued talking despite the crowd being "intimidatory", until 20 of the masked group rushed him and one of them grabbed the microphone out of his hand, prompting the rest of the masked group to begin verbally abusing him. Thegardaíat the event did not intervene and Costello had to leave. The following day another meeting was held but only 20 people showed up. Costello toldThe Irish Timesthat he worried about the right wing andanti-immigrantsentiment being allowed to build in certain communities.

Personal life

His wifeEmer Costellois a formerMEPfor Dublin.

External links

• Joe Costello's page on the Labour Party website