Lisa Chambers | |
|---|---|
 Chambers in 2024 | |
| Leader of the Seanad | |
| Assumed office 17 December 2022 | |
| Taoiseach | |
| Deputy | Regina Doherty |
| Preceded by | Regina Doherty |
| Deputy leader of the Seanad | |
| In office 29 June 2020 – 17 December 2022 | |
| Taoiseach | Micheál Martin |
| Leader | Regina Doherty |
| Preceded by | Catherine Noone |
| Succeeded by | Regina Doherty |
| Leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad | |
| Assumed office 29 June 2020 | |
| Leader |
|
| Preceded by | Catherine Ardagh |
| Senator | |
| Assumed office 29 June 2020 | |
| Constituency | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office February 2016 – February 2020 | |
| Constituency | Mayo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 August 1986 Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | lisachambers |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Ireland |
| Branch/service |  Army Reserve |
| Years of service | 2003–2016 |
| Rank |  Second lieutenant |
| Unit |  Cavalry Corps |
| Awards |  Service Medal Centenary Medal |
Lisa Chambers (born 24 August 1986) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, and former barrister who has served as Leader of the Seanad since December 2022. She served as deputy leader of the Seanad from 2020 to 2022, and as Leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad since June 2020. She previously served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo constituency from 2016 to 2020.[1]
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Jessica Chambers Murder Trial Day 1 Victim's Mother Lisa Chambers Testifies
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Jessica Chambers Murder Retrial Day 1 Part 1 Victims Mother Lisa Chambers & Kesha Myer Testify
Transcription
Early life
Chambers is from Castlebar. She practised as a barrister, running her own practice in the town[citation needed]. She holds a professional bar qualification from the King's Inns, a Masters in Commercial Law from University College Dublin (UCD), and a graduate degree in Commerce and Law from NUI Galway (NUIG).[2][3]
She was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2011 general election for the Mayo constituency.[4] She was elected to Mayo County Council following the 2014 local elections.[5]
Chambers was a member of the Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) for 13 years, having joined as a teenager during secondary school. She was commissioned as an officer in the Army Reserve in November 2012, serving as a second lieutenant with the 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron (Curragh Camp), shortly after she transferred to the D Company (Castlebar), 6th Infantry Battalion, but resigned her commission when elected to the Dáil.[6][7]
Political career
TD (2016–2020)
Following the 2016 general election, she was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Mayo constituency. She is not related to fellow Fianna Fáil politicians Frank Chambers[8] or Jack Chambers.[9]
She was appointed Spokesperson on Defence in the Fianna Fáil Front Bench on 18 May 2016, succeeding Seán Ó Fearghaíl who had been elected Ceann Comhairle of the 32nd Dáil.[10] She was later given the Brexit portfolio in a reshuffle.
She lost her seat at the 2020 general election after 4 years in the Dáil.
In an extended podcast interview with Sean O'Rourke as part of the RTE TV series Two Tribes, aside from a national trend towards Sinn Fein and a poor Fianna Fail national campaign she attributed her election failure to her position on the 8th Amendment "in what is predominantly a conservative constituency particularly among Fianna Fail voters".[11]
Senator (2020–present)
At the 2020 Seanad election, Chambers was elected as a Senator for the Cultural and Educational Panel.[12] She is Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Foreign and European Affairs in the Seanad.
Chambers also chairs the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.[13]
She sought the Fianna Fáil nomination in the Midlands–North-West constituency for the 2024 European Parliament election but was defeated by Barry Cowen at the selection convention.[14] On 29 February 2024, he was added to the Fianna Fáil election ticket for Midlands–North-West, along with Niall Blaney.[15]
Controversies
On 29 November 2018 in a Dáil debate on Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, Chambers stated "Abortion regret is made up and it does not exist".[16] A number of days later she apologised to hurt she caused and stating her comments were taken out of context.[17]
On 17 October 2019 Chambers became embroiled in a voting controversy, when she was shown to have voted on behalf of party colleague Dara Calleary and herself during a vote on an amendment on a forestry motion.[18] In December, the Sunday Independent discovered footage from 17 January 2019 that appeared to show Chambers sitting in Timmy Dooley's seat for fifty minutes while seven votes were recorded; although not visible in the footage, votes were also recorded from Chambers' seat.[19][20]
She was one of a number of TDs found to be claiming a €25-per-day expense for phone roaming charges while travelling in the EU, two years after mobile phone roaming charges were abolished in the region. She claimed a total of €525 for "daily telephone allowance" while travelling in the EU.[21] In February 2020, Chambers defended choosing a route to the Oireachtas that is 35 km longer than the shortest possible journey, placing her in the "band 9" of the travel allowance table increasing her annual allowance by €1,350.[22] Several months later, Chambers was found to have received expenses of €6,626 for April and May 2020 during which time the Seanad was closed due to COVID-19 pandemic.[23]
Chambers faced criticism following the March 2024 referendums on Family and Care when she admitted to voting No in both referendums, despite having been photographed and filmed canvassing for Yes votes.[24][25]
References
- ^ "Lisa Chambers". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "About". Lisa Chambers. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ Flynn, Anne Marie; McNulty, Anton (8 February 2011). "Chambers 'proud and honoured' to join FF ticket". The Mayo News. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ "Lisa Chambers". Elections Ireland. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "Election 2016: Chambers". RTÉ. 28 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ McQuinn, Cormac (10 March 2016). "Meet your 52 new TDs: lawyers, teachers, a techno DJ". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ O'Connell, Hugh (16 March 2016). "The Fianna Fáil surge: How this new TD upset the odds in Enda's backyard". The Journal. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ "Lisa i have not quit fianna fil [sic]". The Connaught Telegraph. 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
This is a different lady and is not a relation of mine. ... She is the daughter of former Fianna Fáil Senator Frank Chambers
- ^ Dillon, Fiona (March 2016). "'I will get my hair cut when I get a chance' – Fianna Fail TD Jack Chambers on social media abuse". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
One of the other new Fianna Fail TDs to be elected under the age of 30 is Lisa Chambers (29) from Castlebar, but they are not directly related, even though they would both have some family roots in the town of Newport.
- ^ "New Mayo TD Lisa is in FF's shadow cabinet". The Connaught Telegraph. 18 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ^ "Two Tribes podcast extended interview with Lisa Chambers". RTE Podcasts. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
- ^ "Seanad general election 2020". Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ Houses of the Oireachtas (8 July 2021). "Seanad Brexit Committee launches its 'Interim Report on the Impacts of Brexit' – 8 Jul 2021, 11.14 – Houses of the Oireachtas". Oireachtas. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ "Barry Cowen narrowly selected as Fianna Fáil European election candidate in keenly contested convention". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ O'Connell, Hugh (29 February 2024). "Fianna Fáil to run two senators with Barry Cowen in shock Euro elections move". Irish Independent. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed)". Oireachtas. 29 November 2018. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ McQuinn, Cormac (2 December 2018). "Chambers apologises for 'hurt' over remark on abortion regret". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Fiach (20 October 2019). "Fianna Fáil's Lisa Chambers voted for Dara Calleary after sitting 'in wrong seat'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ Ryan, Philip; Sheahan, Fionnan (15 December 2019). "New footage shows Lisa Chambers in Timmy Dooley's Dail seat during seven votes". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ O'Connell, Hugh; McQuinn, Cormac (24 October 2019). "Lisa Chambers tells 'votegate' inquiry she didn't think double-vote was a massive issue". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Foxe, Ken (12 January 2020). "Politicians still claiming €25-a-day allowance for scrapped phone fees". Extra.ie. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ McDonagh, Darragh (8 February 2020). "'This is the quickest route' — FF's Lisa Chambers defends travel expenses claim". Extra.ie. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Two Mayo Senators receive over €6,000 expenses for April & May - even though Seanad was closed". MidWest Radio. 12 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Lehane, Mícheál (11 March 2024). "Chambers confirms she canvassed for Yes once but voted No". RTÉ News. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ McGovern, Oisin (12 March 2024). "Mayo Senator canvassed for 'Yes' vote despite voting 'No' in referendums". Mayo News. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
External links
This page was last edited on 10 April 2024, at 14:41