Fidelma Healy Eames
Fidelma Healy Eames | |
|---|---|
| File:F.HealyEames.jpg | |
| Senator | |
| Assumed office July 2007 | |
| Constituency | Labour Panel |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Spouse | Michael Eames |
| Alma mater | Carysfort College, Western Connecticut SU, NUI Galway |
| Occupation | Primary teacher, College lecturer |
| Website | fidelmahealyeames |
Fidelma Healy Eames is an Irish Fine Gael politician and member of Seanad Éireann. She was first elected in 2007 by the Labour Panel.[1] Formerly, Healy Eames was a primary school teacher and college lecturer in Teacher education.
Career
Business
Her various appointments include: former Chairperson of County Galway VEC, member of GMIT Governing Body, member of HSE West Regional Forum, director of Galway Airport, member of Galway City and County Enterprise Board, member of Western Rail Committee and member of Galway Arts Centre Board.[2] She is Director of her own business, FHE Education and Training Providers.[2]
Politics
In October 2007, Healy Eames was appointed the Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson on Education and Science.[2] She was previously an unsuccessful candidate at the 2002 and 2007 and most recently the 2011 general elections for the Galway West constituency.[3] She was elected to Galway County Council in 2004, at her first local elections, for the Oranmore area, and served until 2007.
Healy Eames is currently the Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Social Protection.
Legal dispute
In 2010, a tradesman, employed to carry out renovations at the three-storey Healy Eames residence in County Galway, launched a lawsuit against Healy Eames and her husband for thousands of euros in unpaid fees.[4] On 26 July 2012, Galway Circuit Civil Court ordered Healy Eames's husband to pay more than €12,000 to the builder. Judge Rory McCabe found that a contract had existed between Healy Eames and the builder for work to be carried out at the Healy Eames residence in 2009.[5] Judge McCabe dismissed the case against Senator Healy Eames, though admitted it it had not been unreasonable for the builder to sue her since the dispute concerned work carried out at her residence.[4]
Allen had sued the couple for alleged non-payment for plumbing work carried out on their three storey home. Allen claimed he was paid only €13,000 of the €28,840 he quoted for plumbing and heating works before he was taken off the job at the couples home in Maree, Oranmore, in November 2009. The tradesman claimed that in addition to works on their home he began a refurbishment of their garage which Ms Healy Eames was eager to complete for use as a Fine Gael boardroom. He claimed that when additional costs were taken into account including work done on the garage he was owed in the region of €23,000. Judge McCabe found in his favour and awarded him €12,412.97.
Transport difficulties
A car belonging to Healy Eames was seized in Galway city on 2 July 2012 for its failure to display a valid car disc. She told the Galway Advertiser: “I was using public transport up and down to Dublin and I had neglected the car tax. There is no excuse. I was completely in the wrong”.[6] Healy Eames was then fined for boarding the Galway-Dublin train without a ticket on 12 July 2012, 10 days after her car was seized.[7][8] A fellow passenger on the flight alleged Healy Eames said “that she is a Senator and that she makes the law” when an inspector asked her to produce her ticket.[9]
References
- ^ "Ms. Fidelma Healy Eames". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ a b c Fidelma Healy Eames official website.
- ^ "Fidelma Healy Eames". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ a b "Court orders payment of €12,000 to plumber in unpaid fees". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ^ "Court orders FG Senator's husband to pay plumber". Irish Independent. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ "FG Senator Fidelma Healy Eames admits her car seized for no tax disc". Irish Independent. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ "Healy Eames drops appeal against €100 train ticket fine". thejournal.ie. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Senator Fidelma Healy Eames' car seized for not having valid tax disc". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ Carbery, Genevieve (14 July 2012). "Healy Eames to appeal fine for boarding train without ticket". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 14 July 2012.