Maurice Manning

For the poet, seeMaurice Manning (poet).

Maurice Manning
Senator
In office 25 April 1987 – 12 September 2002
In office 8 October 1981 – 18 February 1982
Constituency	Cultural and Educational Panel
Teachta Dála
In office February 1982–February 1987
Constituency	Dublin North-East
Personal details
Born	(1943-06-14)14 June 1943 Bagenalstown,County Carlow,Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael
Education	De La Salle College Rockwell College
Alma mater	University College Dublin University of Strathclyde

Maurice Manning(born 14 June 1943) is an Irish academic and formerFine Gaelpolitician. Manning was a member of theOireachtasfor 21 years, serving in both theDáiland theSeanad.On 12 March 2009 he was elected Chancellor of theNational University of Ireland,while remaining President of the Human Rights Commission. From 2002 to 2014, he was President of theIrish Human Rights Commission.

Early life

Manning was born inBagenalstown,County Carlow,and educated atPresentation De La Salle Collegethere. He attendedRockwell College,University College Dublin(UCD) and theUniversity of Strathclyde.He earned a BA and MA from UCD, which in 2000 awarded him a DLitt.An academic by background, Manning previously lectured in the politics department of UCD. He is a member of the Senate of the National University of Ireland and of the Governing Authority of UCD, and was a member of the Governing Authority of theEuropean University InstituteatFlorence.He has written several books on modern Irish politics, including a biography ofJames Dillon,apolitical noveland a history of theBlueshirtsmovement.

Political career

Manning first stood for election in 1979 as aFine Gaelcandidate for theDublin constituencyat thefirst European Parliament election,when he did not win a seat. He was unsuccessful again when he stood at the1981 general electionin theDublin North-Eastconstituency,but was then elected on theCultural and Educational Panelto the15th Seanad.

At theFebruary 1982 Dáil electionhe stood again in Dublin North-East, winning a seat in the23rd Dáil Éireann.He retained his seat at theNovember 1982 general election,but was defeated at the1987 general election.He stood again in Dublin North-East at the1989 general election,and inDublin Southat the1992 general electionbut never returned to the Dáil.

After his 1987 defeat he was elected to the18th Seanad,again on the Cultural and Educational Panel, and was re-elected three more times until he did not contest the 2002 election to the22nd Seanad,when Fine Gael chose not to nominate him.After the2002 general electionManning had initially announced his intention to stand down, but whenEnda Kennywas elected as party leader, he stayed on. However following the loss of 20 Dáil seats in 2002, the party's nominating committee chose to prioritise candidates who could challenge for Dáil seats at the next election, and he was not nominated. It was reported that this may have been related to a dispute with the Fine Gael Chairman, SenatorPádraic McCormack,whom Manning had threatened to challenge for the chairmanship.

In the early 1980s Manning was a member of theNew Ireland Forumand later of theBritish–Irish Parliamentary Assembly.He served as Leader of the Seanad from 1995 to 1997,and as Leader of the Opposition in the Seanad from 1997 to 2002.

Human Rights Commission

As president of the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC), he represented it from October 2006 in two successive two-year terms when the IHRC has chaired theEuropean Group of National Human Rights Institutions.The IHRC has also represented the European Group within the Bureau of theGlobal Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions,the global network of NHRIs closely associated with theOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.In 2012, with plans announced to merge the IHRC with the Equality Authority, it was expected that Manning would be appointed as the first head of theIrish Human Rights and Equality Commission;however, he did not receive that appointment.