Willie O'Dea

Willie O'Dea (Irish: Liam Ó Deaghaidh; born November 27, 1952), is an Irish politician who is a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Limerick East. Formerly a Minister of State he is currently the Minister for Defence.

Willie O'Dea was born in Limerick in 1952. He was educated at Patrician Brothers College, County Laois, University College Dublin, King's Inns and the Institute of Certified Accountants. O'Dea worked as a barrister and an accountant, and also lectured at University College Dublin and the University of Limerick before entering politics. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in the February 1982 general election, and has been re-elected at every election since then. He quickly became a member of the so-called Gang of 22 who opposed Charles Haughey's leadership of Fianna Fáil. O'Dea has served as Minister of State at the Department of Justice (1992-1994), Minister of State at the Department of Health (1993-1994), Minister of State at the Department of Education & Science (1997-2002) and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality & Law Reform (2002-2004). In September 2004 O'Dea received a long-awaited appointment to the government as Minister for Defence. During his tenure O'Dea has dealt with the army deafness compensation issue that ultimately resulted in claims of €300 million against the State.

In November 2005 O'Dea courted controversy when he posed for a photo during a training exercise at the Curragh Camp in which he pointed an automatic pistol at the photographer [1]. O'Dea said that it was not his intention to glamorise gun crime [2]. He is also well known in his home country for condemning the theatrical release of a low budget Irish film entitled How To Cheat In The Leaving Certificate.

O'Dea writes regularly for the Sunday Independent and occassioanlly for other national newspapers.