Brendan Kenneally

Brendan Kenneally
Brendan Kenneally
Teachta Dála
	In office; May 2007 – February 2011
	In office; June 1989 – May 2002
Constituency	Waterford
Senator
	In office; 12 September 2002 – 24 May 2007
Constituency	Nominated by the Taoiseach
Minister of State
1992–1993	Tourism, Transport and Communications
Personal details
Born	1 April 1955 (age 69); Waterford, Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Parent	Billy Kenneally (father);
Relatives	William Kenneally (grandfather)
Alma mater	Waterford RTC

Brendan Kenneally (born 1 April 1955) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Waterford constituency, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1989 general election.^[1] In February 1992, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications by the Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, serving until January 1993. He was re-elected at subsequent elections until his defeat at the 2002 general election.^[2] He then became a member of the 22nd Seanad, nominated by the Taoiseach. He regained his Dáil seat at the 2007 general election.

Kenneally's father Billy Kenneally also served as a TD for Waterford from 1965 to 1982, and his grandfather William Kenneally served as a TD for Waterford from 1952 to 1961.

The Sunday Tribune reported that while a senator, between 2005 and 2007, Kenneally ran up total expenses amounting to €139,189.^[3] On 3 August 2009, the Irish Independent revealed that Kenneally was one of the TDs with the highest expense claims in Dáil Éireann in 2008. He claimed €73,857 in expenses.^[4] He lost his seat at the 2011 general election.^[2]

In 2016, after his cousin was convicted of 1980s sexual abuse of boys, Brendan Kenneally revealed that he had been approached in 2002 by one victim's family but had not informed the Garda because the victim did not want him to.^[5] This caused controversy in 2020 for Mary Butler, his successor as Waterford Fianna Fáil TD, who apologised for allowing him to canvass for her in the general election and for renting an office from him.^[6]

References

^ "Brendan Kenneally". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
^ ^a ^b "Brendan Kenneally". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
^ "Seanad members claim over €10m in expenses for last four years". Sunday Tribune. 3 November 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
^ Brennan, Michael (3 August 2009). "Publication of figures backed by politicians". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
^ Tiernan, Damien (25 September 2016). "Former TD 'was told cousin abused boys but he said nothing'". Sunday Independent. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
^ Parker, Christy (26 February 2020). "Mary Butler apologises for 'huge error of judgment'". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.

Political offices
Preceded by Denis Lyons Frank Fahey	Minister for State at the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications 1992–1993	Succeeded by Noel Treacy as Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications