Joe O'Reilly

Joe O'Reilly (born 1 April 1955) is an Irish Fine Gael politician has served as a senator for the Labour Panel since April 2016, and previously from 2007 to 2011 for the Industrial and Commercial Panel and from 1989 to 1992 for the Cultural and Educational Panel. He served as Leas-Chathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from August 2020 to December 2022. He served as a TD for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency from 2011 to 2016.

Early and personal life Born in Cootehill, County Cavan, he was educated at St Patrick's College, Cavan; St. Aidan's Comprehensive School, Cootehill; University College Dublin; Trinity College Dublin; St Patrick's College, Dublin and the Dublin Institute of Technology. O'Reilly is a primary school teacher by profession.

Political career In local politics, he was first elected to Cavan County Council in 1985 but lost his seat in 1991. He was re-elected at the 1999 local elections for the Bailieborough local electoral area and again in 2004.

He was a candidate at the 2007 general election for Cavan–Monaghan. As Rory O'Hanlon had served as Ceann Comhairle in the 29th Dáil, he was automatically re-elected and therefore the seats were reduced from 5 to 4 in the constituency. He finished with a total of 9,550 first preference votes, the highest losing vote in the country in that election. He won a seat in the general election in February 2011. serving on the Industrial and Commercial Panel and as Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. O'Reilly was elected to the Labour Panel of the 25th Seanad in April 2016.

He is the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Political views In 2017, Fine Gael announced that they were planning a bill to allow pubs to open on Good Friday, reversing a 90-year-old ban. O'Reilly went against his party's view and said that the tradition was "part of our national identity".