discussions. At the 1992 general election, as the running-mate of the DSP's founder Jim Kemmy, she narrowly missed winning a second seat for Labour in Limerick East. In 1993, she was elected to the 20th Seanad on the Administrative Panel, and became leader of the Labour group in Seanad Éireann. From 1993 to 1994, O'Sullivan was Mayor of Limerick. Her religion twice became an issue in 1994, when she was prevented from opening a Christian Brothers School and from reading a lesson at a mass for Limerick's civic week. O'Sullivan was unsuccessful again at the 1997 general election, but after Kemmy's death in September 1997, she was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the by-election in March 1998. She held the seat in a close three-way contest, becoming the first female TD from County Limerick since Kathleen O'Callaghan in 1921. Both the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael candidates in the by-election were also women. Labour: 2000s O'Sullivan was re-elected at the 2002, 2007 and 2011 general elections, and at the 1999 local elections became Limerick's first alderwoman (as well as its last, as the title was abolished by the Local Government Act 2001). In the 28th Dáil, she was the Labour Party Spokesperson on Justice and Equality and a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights. In the 29th Dáil, she was vice-chair of both the Dáil Select Committee on Education and Science and the Joint Committee on Education and Science, as well as her party's spokesperson on Education and Science. After Labour's disappointing performance at the 2007 general election, Pat Rabbitte resigned as leader and the outgoing deputy leader, Liz McManus, did not seek re-election. Eamon Gilmore was elected unopposed as leader, O'Sullivan stood for the deputy leadership, and was narrowly defeated by Dublin West TD Joan Burton, by 1480 votes to 1276. In a frontbench reshuffle on 16 September 2007, appointed O'Sullivan to the role of Spokesperson for Health. Government: 2011–2016 On 10 March 2011, she was appointed by the Fine Gael–Labour government as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Trade and Development. On 20 December 2011, she was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Planning. She attended meetings of the cabinet, a position described as a "super junior" minister.