Calleary has been a member of the Fianna Fáil National Executive since 1997 and has served on party policy committees on Transport, Enterprise and Employment, Agriculture and Youth Affairs.
Following the
2020 general election, Calleary served as Fianna Fáil's chief negotiator as the party worked on a deal with
Fine Gael and the
Green Party to enter into government as a coalition.[10]
Appintment as Government Chief Whip
On 27 June 2020, at the formation of the
new government, Calleary was appointed by
Taoiseach Micheál Martin as
Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility as
Chief Whip.[11][12] Although Calleary was deputy leader of Fianna Fáil and chief negotiator for Fianna Fáil, he was not appointed to cabinet. The lack of any representative in the cabinet from the west of Ireland was heavily criticised by some.[13][14][15] An article by the Mayo-based
Western People declared it "a cabinet fit for
Cromwell".[16] While Calleary accepted the role, he publicly acknowledged that he was "angry and disappointed" not to have been offered a departmental portfolio and said that he still saw himself eventually leading a department.[17] On 1 July, he was appointed to the further position of Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport.[18][19]
On 20 August 2020, Calleary was implicated in the
Oireachtas Golf Society scandal when news broke that Calleary and 81 others attended an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner the previous day, in apparent breach of Government
COVID-19 guidelines.[21] He resigned as Agriculture Minister the following morning.[22][23][24] Calleary stated to
MidWest Radio that "I made a big mistake. I shouldn't have gone to the function. I didn't want to let people down and I take responsibility for that mistake".[25] Michael Clifford and Paul Hosford of the Irish Examiner, suggested that the scandal had "left [Calleary's] political career in tatters" and had deeply rocked the
Martin Cabinet.[26][27] Three days later on 24 August 2020, he also resigned as Deputy leader of
Fianna Fáil.[28] In February 2022, a District Court concluded that the event had not breached public health guidelines and had been safely organised.
^Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2009 (
S.I. No. 249 of 2009). Signed on 23 June 2009. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 12 April 2021.
^Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2010 (
S.I. No. 333 of 2010). Signed on 29 June 2010. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 9 April 2021.; Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2011 (
S.I. No. 62 of 2011). Signed on 1 February 2011. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 9 April 2021.
^Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2022 (
S.I. No. 486 of 2022). Signed on 27 September 2022. Statutory Instrument of the
Government of Ireland. Retrieved from
Irish Statute Book on 31 October 2022.