18 Facts About Ivor Callely

Ivor Callely was born on 6 May 1958 and is an Irish former politician who served as a Fianna Fail Teachta Dala for the Dublin North-Central constituency from 1989 to 2007 and a member of Seanad Eireann from 2007 to 2011, having been nominated by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.

Ivor Callely resigned from the Fianna Fail party on 24 August 2010 due to an expenses scandal.

Ivor Callely first held political office in 1985 when he was elected to Dublin Corporation.

Ivor Callely was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1987 general election but was elected to Dail Eireann at the 1989 general election and held his seat at the three subsequent general elections.

In 2002 Ivor Callely was appointed by the government of Bertie Ahern as Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for services for older people.

On 8 December 2005, Ivor Callely resigned his ministerial post after an RTE News report that a building contractor involved in public contracts had painted his house for free in the early 1990s.

Ivor Callely's department had an unusually high turnover of staff for some time under his stewardship.

Ivor Callely lost his seat at the 2007 general election and was unsuccessful at the Seanad elections for the Industrial and Commercial Panel in 2007.

Ivor Callely was appointed by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to the Seanad.

Ivor Callely did not contest the 2011 general election or the 2011 Seanad election.

Ivor Callely said that following the loss of his Dail seat in 2007, he took up residence in Cork.

Ivor Callely was arrested on 25 January 2012 concerning allegations he had used forged receipts for mobile phone kits.

Ivor Callely was arrested again in April 2013, and taken to Clontarf Garda Station, where he was charged in connection with alleged fraud and theft offences.

In March 2014, Ivor Callely pleaded guilty to making false mobile phone expenses claims while a member of the Oireachtas, and was convicted in July 2014 and sentenced to 5 months in prison.

In passing sentence, Judge Mary Ellen Ring ruled that Ivor Callely's position at the time was an aggravating factor and said that a prison term was demanded by the public interest.

Ivor Callely served his sentence at Wheatfield Prison in Clondalkin, Dublin.

When Ivor Callely was asked by the Department of Transport to make proposals for repayment on a goodwill basis, he replied that due to the need to devote his energy to other proceedings he was not in a position to deal with the issue at that time.

In July 2018, Ivor Callely was convicted of seven counts of criminal damage and one count of harassment against a GP practice in a property dispute.