Liz O’Donnell was Progressive Democrats TD for Dublin South for fifteen years and was Deputy Leader of the Party when she retired from political life in June 2007.
She is now working in broadcasting, public affairs consultancy and writing. She has recently written and presented a four part TV series Far Away Up Close, an Animo TV production for RTE, which explored the complexities of the Irish overseas aid programme.
Liz was elected to the Dáil in 1992 and served as a Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2002.
She represented the Irish government in the multi party talks leading to the Good Friday Agreement.
She also had ministerial responsibility for the Irish Aid programme and presided over a major budgetary expansion Irish government aid.
She was a member of several Oireachtas Committees over many years including the Foreign Affairs Committee and was the only female member of the Commission of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the statutory body which runs the Dáil and Seanad.
An Honours Law Graduate of Trinity College Dublin, she has a strong interest in justice and human rights issues and served on the Cabinet Committee on Immigration and Refugees.
In 2002 she was awarded the Doolin Memorial medal by the College of Surgeons for her contribution to overseas development and human rights.
