Michael McNamara (born 1 March 1974) is an Irish independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Clare following the 2020 general election, and previously from 2011 to 2016.[1] He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South at the 2024 European Parliament election. He was the Chairman of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Response from 12 May to 8 October 2020.[2]
Michael McNamara | |
|---|---|
_2020_(cropped).jpg) McNamara in 2020 | |
| Teachta Dála | |
| Assumed office February 2020 | |
| In office February 2011 – February 2016 | |
| Constituency | Clare |
| Chairman of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Response | |
| In office 12 May 2020 – 8 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Committee established |
| Succeeded by | Committee dissolved |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 March 1974 Limerick, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Labour Party (until 2017) |
| Spouse | Sarah Jane Hillery (m. 2015) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | |
McNamara was elected as a Labour Party TD for Clare at the 2011 general election.[3] He was a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine,[4] and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 2011 to 2016.[5] McNamara is a barrister and has worked at the OSCE and on human rights and democracy projects of the European Union and United Nations. He was an unsuccessful Independent candidate at the 2009 European Parliament election for the North-West constituency.[3]
In May 2015, McNamara was expelled from the parliamentary Labour Party for voting against the government in the sale of Aer Lingus shares, the third time he voted against the government.[6] He rejoined the parliamentary Labour Party in September 2015.[7] He lost his seat at the 2016 general election.[3] He was elected as an independent candidate for the Clare constituency at the 2020 general election. McNamara campaigned for a No-No vote in the March 2024 constitutional referendums as a member of the Lawyers for No group, alongside fellow barristers Senator Michael McDowell, Maria Steen and Brenda Power.[8][9]
McNamara was elected as an independent MEP for the South constituency at the 2024 European Parliament election.[10] He will take office on 17 July.[11]