Paudie Coffey

Paudie Coffey (born 15 May 1969) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Minister of State for Housing and Planning from 2014 to 2016. He served as a Senator from 2016 to 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach, and previously from 2007 to 2011 for the Industrial and Commercial Panel. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Waterford constituency from 2011 to 2016.[1]

Paudie Coffey
Minister of State for Housing and Planning
In office
14 July 2014 – 6 May 2016
TaoiseachEnda Kenny
Preceded byJan O'Sullivan
Succeeded byDamien English
Senator
In office
11 May 2016 – 27 March 2020
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
In office
29 July 2007 – 25 February 2011
ConstituencyIndustrial and Commercial Panel
Teachta Dála
In office
February 2011 – February 2016
ConstituencyWaterford
Personal details
Born (1969-05-15) 15 May 1969
Waterford, Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partyFine Gael
Children3
Alma mater

He was first elected to Waterford County Council in 1999 for the Suir local electoral area, and re-elected in 2004. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2007 general election for the Waterford constituency, but was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann in July 2007 as a Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel.[2]

Coffey was elected for the Waterford constituency at the 2011 general election gaining 9,698 (18.1%) first preference votes and was subsequently elected.[2] On 15 July 2014, he was appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for Housing, Planning and Co-ordination of the Construction 2020 Strategy at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.[3] He lost his seat at the 2016 general election.[2][4]

Coffey was instrumental in the introduction of the Construction Contracts Act 2013. The Act regularises payment terms between construction companies, and puts in place a dispute resolution process aimed at reducing days lost and costs on construction projects.

He was nominated by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the 25th Seanad in May 2016.[5]

Kilkenny People court case

Coffey alleged he was defamed by the Kilkenny People newspaper on 15 January 2016. He was nicknamed 'Coffey the Robber' after the newspaper published an article containing a press release by Carlow-Kilkenny Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan. The comparison was based on William Crotty, who was an 18th-century criminal known as Crotty the Robber.[6] Coffey settled out of court on 31 July 2019.[7]

Retirement

On 16 December 2019, he announced that he was retiring from politics and would not contest the next general election.[8]

References
  1. "Paudie Coffey". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  2. "Paudie Coffey". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
  3. "Simon Harris among new Ministers of State". RTÉ News. 15 July 2014.
  4. McGrath, Meadhbh (6 May 2016). "Revealed: The salaries TDs pocketed over 10 weeks of government talks". Irish Independent.
  5. Bardon, Sarah (27 May 2016). "FF leader selects three of Taoiseach's 11 Seanad appointees". The Irish Times.
  6. "Fine Gael TD was surprised by 'Coffey the Robber' headline on article". The Irish Times. 30 November 2010.
  7. "Fine Gael Senator Paudie Coffey settles 'highway robber' defamation case". Irish Independent. 31 July 2019.
  8. "FG's Paudie Coffey will not contest general election". RTÉ News. 16 December 2019.
Oireachtas
Preceded by
Martin Cullen
(Fianna Fáil)		 Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Waterford
2011–2016		 Succeeded by
Mary Butler
(Fianna Fáil)
Political offices
Preceded by
Jan O'Sullivan		 Minister of State for Housing, Planning and
Co-ordination of the Construction 2020 Strategy
2014–2016		 Succeeded by
Damien English
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