A record number of new TDs are taking their seats in the Dáil chamber for the very first time today.
Almost every constituency has a new face representing it in the 31st session.
Find more out about the 76 first time TDs. Learn how to contact them, what they did before becoming a TD, what their priorities are and why they stood for the Dáil.
Carlow-Kilkenny
Pat Deering
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Carlow-Kilkenny
Home Address: Rathvilly, Co Carlow
Contact: 087 947 0736
Email: Patdeering@eircom.net
Website: www.patdeering.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1439570553
Birth Place/Date: St Brigids, Carlow, February 1967
Marital Status/family: Married to Paula Byrne and they have two children Roisin aged 11 and Micheal age 7.
Education: Ballyfin College, Ballyfin, Co Laois, and Tullow Community School, Tullow, Co Carlow. Pilltown Agricultural College, Pilltown, Co Kilkenny.
Occupation: Full time farmer and local councillor.
Biog: Pat Deering secured 7,470 first preference votes and was elected on the 13th count in the Carlow/ Kilkenny constituency. This was Pat’s first attempt at going forward to Dáil Eireann. He was elected as a local councillor in June 2009 and took the place of his father Michael Deering who had served for 42 years before him.
Hobbies: Pat is a GAA activist and a member of Rathvilly GAA club.
Did you know: Pat served as Chairman to Carlow County Board GAA and resigned earlier in the year to follow his political career.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: To represent the people of Carlow and help secure jobs for them. It is a priority that I help maintain services such as hospitals etc for the people of Carlow.
Why did you stand for election: I stood for election, as I wanted to represent the people of Carlow as I felt for the last number of years they lacked real representation.
Ann Phelan
Party: Labour
Constituency: Carlow-Kilkenny
Home Address: Graignamanagh, Co Kilkenny
Contact: 086 329 4420
Website: www.labour.ie/annphelan/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnnPhelan1
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Ann-Phelan/1511891704
Birth Place/Date: Graignamanagh, September 1961
Marital Status/family: Married to Kieran Phelan. Two daughters and one son.
Education: Bridgidin College Goresbridge and Waterford Institute of Technology.
Occupation: Public representative. Formerly accounts secretary.
Biog: Ann Phelan secured 8,072 first preference votes to get elected in the 12th count in her first Dáil election.
Hobbies: Swimming, walking and horse riding.
Did you know? Ann suffered a stroke in April 2008 while out horse riding. She has made a remarkable recovery through rehabilitation.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Mary Robinson
Priority as a TD: I come from a disadvantaged area and I want to create jobs in the area.
Why did you stand for election: I have been asked to stand a number of times but this is the first time that I have been in position to devote all my energy to the election.
John Paul Phelan
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Carlow-Kilkenny
Home Address: Tullogher, Mullinavat, Kilkenny
Contact: 056 77 93210
Website: www.johnpaulphelan.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jpphelan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carlowkilkenny
Birth Place/Date: Waterford Regional Hospital, September 1978
Marital Status/family: Single. Mother, Mary, father, Jimmy (deceased) Brothers, Eamonn and Seamus, sisters, Catherine and Bridget.
Education: Good Counsel College, New Ross, graduated with a BBS (Economics & Finance). He also has a Diploma in Law. John Paul is currently taking a part-time course in Legal Studies at the Kings Inn.
Occupation: Former Senator now TD.
Biog: John Paul Phelan was first elected to Seanad Eireann in July 2002 and was Seanad Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade & Employment having previously held the portfolio of Seanad Spokesperson on Finance. He was elected to Kilkenny County Council in 1999 for the Piltown Electoral Area, the youngest councillor ever elected to this Council.
He needed just over 200 more votes to get a second seat for Fine Gael in the constituency in the last election. In Election 2011 John Paul topped the poll in Carlow-Kilkenny with 10,929 votes. He was elected on the 13th count and was the only Fine Gael TD to exceed the quota.
Hobbies: GAA player and supporter, avid reader and plays rugby.
Did you know: He will be one of the youngest TDs in the Dail and is the youngest outgoing member of the Seanad. He was also the youngest ever councillor elected to Kilkenny County Council at 20 years of age.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Noonan
Priority as a TD: Create jobs, boost confidence and ensure nobody else has to leave our country to find work. When we face the electorate next time round, I want it to be a very different Ireland, one where people can live, work and rear their families.
Why did you stand for election: Because I believe I have the mix of youth, experience, drive and commitment to get Ireland back to work.
Cavan-Monaghan
Sean Conlan
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cavan/Monaghan
Home Address: Ballybay, Co Monaghan
Contact: O87 667 9306
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seanconlanfg
Birth Place/Date: Dublin 1975
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: Ballybay NS; St Macartan's College, Monaghan; UCD (BA Honours degree in Economics); The Law Society.
Occupation: Public representative, solicitor and bar owner.
Biog: He garnered 7,864 first preference votes to get elected on the ninth and final count on his first attempt. He has been a member of Ballybay Town Council since 2009 and he is a son of John F Conlon, who was a TD from 1969 to 1987. He is a member of Ballybay Economic Forum and its representative on the County Development Board. He is the son of John Francis Conlan who was a TD for Monaghan and later Cavan Monaghan during the 1960s-1980s. John Francis Conlan was James Dillon’s advisor in Co Monaghan during his leadership of Fine Gael.
Hobbies: Kayaking, surfing, listening to music and reading.
Did you know: During his time as a student in UCD, he was a chairperson of Young Fine Gael.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: Locally his priorities are job creation and investment by working with all relevant organisations to promote local industry, business, agriculture, education, and development of services at Monaghan and Cavan general hospitals. Nationally to promote economic policies, which will create jobs in order to solve the unemployment, emigration and personal debt crisis faced by so many families and in the long run to help bring about the change necessary to create a united Ireland.
Why did you stand for election: To achieve the above priorities.
Heather Humphreys
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cavan-Monaghan
Home Address: Dernaroy, Newbliss, Co Monaghan.
Contact: 086 238 0765
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/heather.humphreysfg
Birth Place/Date: Monaghan
Marital Status/family: Married to Eric Humphreys with two daughters.
Education: St Aidan's Comprehensive in Cootehill, Co Cavan
Occupation: Manager of Cootehill Credit Union, Co Cavan.
Biog: Heather Humphreys was elected on the back of 8,144 first preferences in the ninth and final count on her first attempt. She was co-opted onto Monaghan County Council in 2003, when she replaced former TD Seymour Crawford. She was elected to the council in 2004 with 18.1% of the vote and in 2009 with 23.9%. She served as Mayor of County Monaghan in 2009/2010.
Hobbies: Reading and playing the piano.
Did you know: Humphreys is only the second woman to be elected in the area since the Cavan-Monaghan constituency was formed.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Franklin D Roosevelt
Priority as a TD: Jobs for young people so they are not forced to emigrate.
Why did you stand for election: I live in the real world, I know the issues and I want to try and make a difference.
Joe O’Reilly
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cavan-Monaghan
Home Address: The Willows, Chapel Road, Bailieborough, Co Cavan
Contact: 086 244 4321
Website: www.joeoreilly.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/senjoeoreilly
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Joe-O-Reilly/100001472542828
Birth Place/Date: Cavan, April 1955
Marital Status/family: Married to Mary Tully and the couple have three sons Alexius, Eoghan and Daire.
Education: St Aidan’s Comprehensive school in Cootehill, UCD, DIT, TCD and St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.
Occupation: Public representative, former publican and retired primary school teacher.
Biog: He secured 8,333 first preference votes to get elected in the ninth and final count on his second attempt. He narrowly lost out on a seat in the 2007 general election when Fianna Fáil’s Margaret Conlon pipped him for the last seat. He was elected to the Seanad after the general election in 2007 and this was his second term in the Seanad, as he was previously a senator from 1989 to 1992. He was a member of Cavan County Council from 1985 to 2007. Joe is also the former chair of Cavan County Council 2004-2005.
Hobbies: Reading, travel and socialising.
Did you know: I was a champion Irish debater in secondary school.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Charles Stewart Parnell
Priority as a TD: To do anything I can do to get people working.
Why did you stand for election? To bring about change for the better and rectify our public finances and create jobs.
Clare
Michael McNamara
Party: Labour
Constituency: Clare
Home Address: Scariff, Co Clare
Website: www.labour.ie/michaelmcnamara
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-McNamara/177185598977651
Birth Place/Date: Clare, March 1974
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: St Flannan’s College, Ennis, UCC, the University of Louvain and the King’s Inns.
Occupation: Farmer and barrister
Biog: Michael McNamara won 8,572 first preference votes and got elected in the 11th count on his first attempt. He is the first Labour TD to be elected in the Clare constituency since Dr Moosajee Bhamjee’s election in the 1992 ‘Spring Tide’, when 33 Labour TDs were elected under the leadership of Dick Spring.
In 2009 he stood as an independent candidate in the European elections in the Ireland North West constituency and he secured 12,744 first preference votes, 2.9% share of the vote. He used to provide legal support for producers and reporters on RTÉ’s ‘Prime Time’ programme from November 1997 to September 2000.
Hobbies: Tennis. Outdoor pursuits, member of Scariff GAA Club and the IFA.
Did you know: He has worked as a human rights lawyer with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Eastern Europe and with the United Nations in Afghanistan, before returning to Ireland in 2005 to run his family farm and practice at the Bar. He has also worked in Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and Sudan as an independent electoral observer
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Daniel O’Connell
Priority as a TD: To reform our economic priorities and system of governance.
Why did you stand for election: To reform our economic priorities and system of governance.
Cork East
Tom Barry
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cork East
Home Address: Monanimy, Upper Killavullen, Mallow, Co Cork.
Contact: 022 26816
Website: www.tombarry.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tbarry
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tombarryccc
Birth Place/Date: Cork, October 1968
Marital Status/family: Married to Dr Kathy Quane. Father of three.
Education: De La Salle College, Waterford. Studied bio-chemistry at UCC.
Occupation: Agri-businessman who owns and runs a company called TBWarehousing
Biog: Tom garnered 5,798 first preference votes to get elected in the seventh and final count in his first general election attempt. He was successful on his first electoral outing when he contested the 2009 local elections and took a seat for the party in the Mallow electoral area on Cork County Council.
Hobbies: Time off with my family, all sports and gardening.
Did you know: Barry has been highly involved in trying to restore the Irish sugar industry.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Edmund Burke
Priority as a TD: To re-establish indigenous industries and create jobs.
Why did you stand for election: I run a business and I have three young children. If we don’t get industries back up and running – all we will do is rear our kids to send them abroad so I have a civic duty and a responsibility to them.
Sandra McLellan
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Cork East
Marital Status/family: Married, three children.
Occupation: Was a SIPTU shop steward in an electronics' factory for 16 years before losing her job in 2004.
Biog: Sandra secured 6,292 first preference votes to get elected in the seventh and final count in her first general election. She was first elected to Youghal Town Council in 2004 and topped the poll on her re-election in 2009. She contested the 2007 general election where she polled 3,672 first preferences.
Did you know: She is the first woman TD in the East Cork constituency since Fine Gael’s Myra Barry in 1979.
Priority as a TD: Job creation in Cork East.
Cork North Central
Dara Murphy
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cork North Central
Home Address: Gardener’s Hill, St Lukes’Cross, Cork
Contact: 086 253 3729
Email: dara_Murphy@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/daramurphy2011
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Dara-Murphy/139819392717722
Birth Place/Date: Cork, December 1969
Marital Status/family: Married Tanya with three children.
Education: Christian Brothers College, Cork, and UCC.
Occupation: Public representative. Formerly self-employed in catering industry.
Biog: He secured 6,597 first preference votes to get elected in 11th count in his first general election. He was first elected as a councillor in 2004 when he garnered 1,011 first preferences. From Mayfield, Dara was the Lord Mayor of Cork in 2009-2010.
Hobbies: Cooking, reading non-fiction historical books, cycling, walking and spending time with his family.
Did you know: Last year he was the youngest Lord Mayor of Cork since Micheál Martin.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: John Bruton.
Priority as a TD: To change politics and how it is delivered.
Why did you stand for election: I believe we need a new generation of politics and I believe have something to contribute to that.
Jonathan O'Brien
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Cork North Central
Home Address: Farranree, Cork
Contact: 085-2133907
Email: cllrjonathanobrien@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JOBrien_SF
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JonathanOBrienTD
Marital status/Family: Married, four children.
Occupation: City Councillor, Cork.
Cork North West
Aine Collins
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cork North West
Home Address: Laught, Rathcoole, Mallow, Co Cork
Contact: 087 232 6945
Birth Place/Date: Knock Brack, Banteer, Co Cork
Marital Status/family: Married, three children.
Education: Rathcoole National School, Millstreet Secondary School, North East London Polytechnic, Certified Public Accountant.
Occupation: Accountant, business consultant.
Biog: Secured 7,884 first preference votes to get elected on the sixth and final count in her first general election. She served on the Fine Gael National Executive from 2007-2010 but she had never contested an election before Election 2011.
Hobbies: Reading, cooking, walking, mount climbing.
Did you know: She is the only female TD in Munster following the loss of Deirdre Clune in Cork South Central.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: Jobs creation and streamlining services to achieve greater efficiencies.
Why did you stand for election: We need to reform the way we manage the country.
Cork South Central
Jerry Buttimer
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cork South Central
Home Address: Benvoirlich Estate, Bishopstown, Cork
Contact: 086 235 6892
Website: www.jerrybuttimer.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jerrybuttimer
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JerryButtimer
Birth Place/Date: Cork, March 1967
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh (Boys), St Finbarr's College Farranferris, St Patrick’s College Maynooth, UCC.
Occupation: Public representative. Secondary school teacher and Director of adult education.
Biog: Secured 7,128 first preference votes to get elected in the 11th count. Jerry garnered 5,180 first preference votes in his unsuccessful 2007 general election attempt and went on to become a Senator.
Hobbies: Sport, cooking, reading.
Did you know: Jerry chronicled his experience as an unsuccessful candidate in the 2007 general election in a book, Candidate: The Diary of an Election Candidate.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: John Bruton, Bill Clinton.
Priority as a TD: Promote and protect employment opportunities, reform of the Health Service Executive and political reform.
Why did you stand for election: To bring about and effect, political reform and change, and to promote and protect employment opportunities.
Cork South West
Jim Daly
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cork South West
Home Address: Millgrove, Clonakilty, Co Cork
Contact: 087 746 5397
Website: www.jimdaly.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimdalytd
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jimdaly
Birth Place/Date: Drinagh, Co Cork, December 1972
Marital Status/family: Married to Virge with four children Daniel, Denis, Conor and Ciarán , Son of Jerry and Pearl, one of 11 children, seven boys and four girls.
Education: Coláiste Muire Cobh, NUI Maynooth and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
Occupation: Full-time public representative. Formerly primary school teacher.
Biog: Jim secured 8,878 first preference votes to top the poll and get elected in the fifth count. He has been a councillor since 1999 and he was Mayor of County Cork in 2010.
Hobbies: Reading and swimming.
Did you know: Jim reads every available book relating to Irish politics and history.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: John Hume
Priority as a TD: Honest and effective communication with constituents.
Why did you stand for election: To enhance the quality of living for constituents.
Noel Harrington
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Cork South West
Home Address: Bank Place, Castletownbere, Co Cork
Contact: 086 856 7178
Website: www.noelharrington.com
Email: info@noelharrington.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nharrington2
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Noel-Harrington/151377618254446 or http://www.facebook.com/noel.harrington
Birth Place/Date: Castletownbere, Co Cork, December 1970.
Marital Status/family: Married to Catherine Harrington, two sons and one daughter.
Education: Beara Community School, Castletownbere, Co Cork.
Occupation: Postmaster in Castletownbere since 1992.
Biog: He secured 6,898 first preference votes to get elected in the sixth and last count in his first general election. He was elected to represent the Bantry electoral area on Cork County Council on his first attempt in June 1999. He was re-elected in 2004 and 2009. He unsuccessfully contested the Seanad by-elections in 2007. He was elected Mayor of County Cork in 2008. In 1991 Noel took over the Post Office that his late father took over in the 1970s. He has managed the Post Office since then. He is the son of the late Donie Harrington who was a County Councillor from 1974-til his death in 1981
Hobbies: GAA, soccer, golf, reading, darts. Noel won a Cork County Senior Football Champion Medal with Beara in 1997.
Did you know: Noel is the first Beara person and the first Harrington to be elected to Dail Eireann since its inception. Noel was also instrumental in the re-instatement of the Cork-Swansea Ferry MV Julia, during his tenure as Mayor of Cork County, in conjunction with West Cork Tourism.
Priority as a TD: Help create jobs. Regenerate Rural Communities. Get our Natural Resources Fishing/Farming/Tourism working for the people of Ireland. Make Beara, west Cork and Ireland a better place to work, live or visit
Why did you stand for election: To give the people of Cork South West a strong energetic, young voice.
Michael McCarthy
Party: Labour
Constituency: Cork South-West
Home Address: Clonakilty Road, Dunmanway, Co Cork
Contact: 087 648 1004
Website: www.labour.ie/michaelmccarthy
Twitter: www.twitter.com/senmmcarthy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Senator-Michael-McCarthy/131069950290425
Birth Place/Date: Bantry, November 1976
Marital Status/family: Married to Nollagh Patterson, two sons.
Education: Colaiste Chairbre, Dunmanway, Co Cork.
Occupation: Full-time public representative.
Biog: Michael McCarthy secured 6,533 first preference votes and got elected on the sixth count in Cork South-West in his third attempt to get elected. He was elected to Cork County Council in 1999 in the Skibereen Electoral Area. He was elected to the Seanad in 2002 and re-elected in 2007.
Hobbies: Reading, table quizzes, card drives.
Did you know: Michael is the fourth Labour Party TD to be elected from the town of Dunmanway.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Dr Noel Browne
Priority as a TD: To ensure that west Cork is properly represented in Dáil Éireann.
Why did you stand for election: I feel that I have the ability to represent the needs and views of the people west Cork and that I have something to offer national politics.
Donegal North East
Charlie McConalogue
Party: Fianna Fáil
Constituency: Donegal North East
Home Address: Carrowmore, Gleneely, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal.
Contact: 086 816 1078
Website: http://www.fiannafail.ie/people/charlie-mcconalogue/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
Birth Place/Date: Letterkenny, October 1977
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: Studied Economics, Politics and History at University College Dublin
Occupation: County Councillor and Farmer
Biog: Secured 6,613 first preference votes to get elected in the ninth and final count in his first general election attempt. He was elected to Donegal County Council in June 2009 and served as Deputy Mayor of Donegal in 2009 –2010.
Hobbies: All sports involving a ball!
Did you know: At 6'5'', Charlie is a contender for the tallest TD of the 31st Dáil
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Seán Lemass
Priority as a TD: To create the right environment to promote employment; to maximise our natural resources by promoting agriculture, fisheries and tourism; to maintain and increase investment in our health services.
Why did you stand for election: I have been proud to serve my local community on Donegal County Council and I want to continue this work on a national level. I am committed to bring new energy and fresh ideas to national politics.
Padraig MacLochlainn
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Donegal North East
Home Address: The Meadows, Buncrana, Co Donegal
Contact: pmaclsf@eircom.net
Website: www.donegalsf.com/representatives/937
Birth Place/Date: Leeds, England, June 1973
Marital Status/family: Partner Sinéad and a son and stepson.
Education: I am an early school leaver who returned to part-time education while working. Various certificates and a Diploma in Social Studies.
Occupation: Public Representative.
Biog: Padraig secured 9,278 first preference seats to get elected in the third count in his third general election attempt. He was co-opted onto Buncrana Town Council in 2002 and he was elected to Donegal County Council two years later in the 2004 local elections. He ran in the European elections in 2009 and he was the national director of Sinn Féin’s campaign against the Lisbon Treaty referendum in 2008.
Hobbies: Reading, walking, and watching movies.
Did you know: My father was a republican prisoner imprisoned for nine years across prisons in England.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Nelson Mandela and William Wilberforce.
Priority as a TD: The separation of banking debt from sovereign debt and using the people's money for stimulating growth through investment in job retention, creation and public infrastructure.
Why did you stand for election: To effect real change for the people of Donegal North East and Ireland.
Donegal South West
Thomas Pringle
Party: Independent
Constituency: Donegal South West
Home Address: Church Road, Killybegs, Co Donegal
Contact: 074 974 1880
Website: www.thomaspringle.ie
Email: tpringle@eircom.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThomasPringleTD
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-Thomas-Pringle/154920954552844
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, August 1967
Marital Status/family: Married with three children
Education: St Catherine’s Vocational School, Killybegs; Letterkenny Institute of Technology 1984-1986
Occupation: Up to Election 2011, Pringle worked for Donegal County Council in the Killybegs Water Treatment Plant for 16 years.
Biog: Secured 5,845 first preference votes to get elected in the fourth count in his second general election. He was first elected to Donegal County Council in 1999 as an independent. In January 2004 he joined Sinn Féin and he was re-elected to the council in 2004 on the Sinn Féin party ticket. In November 2007, he left Sinn Féin and continued on the council as an independent. He was re-elected to the council in 2009. He unsuccessfully contested the 2002 general election and the November 2010 Donegal South West by-election as an independent.
Hobbies: Reading, walking and photography.
Did you know: Pringle more than doubled his first preference vote from 2,630 votes in the 2002 general election to 5,845 in Election 2011.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Nelson Mandela
Priority as a TD: To provide effective representation and put forward an alternative vision for Ireland.
Why did you stand for election: Having been a public representative since 1999 I felt I could bring something to the national stage and I feel that the party political system has not served us well. Now more than ever there is a need for alternative views rather than slavishly following the establishment line.
Dublin Central
Paschal Donohoe
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Dublin Central
Home Address: Shandon Park, Phibsborough, Dublin 7
Contact: 01 618 3689
Website: www.paschaldonohoe.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/paschald
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, 1974
Marital Status/family: Married to Justine and have two children.
Education: St Declan’s, Cabra, and Trinity College, Dublin, (Economics and Politics).
Occupation: Full-Time public representative. Formerly Irish Commercial Director for the consumer goods company, Procter and Gamble.
Biog: Paschal Donohoe secured 6,903 first preference votes, topping the poll and getting elected on the second count in Dublin Central. He was elected to Dublin City Council in 2004 for the Cabra Glasnevin electoral area and he has been a Senator since 2007.
Hobbies: Music (favourite group is Elbow) and reading (favourite author is James Lee Burke).
Did you know: Paschal is a prolific tweeter.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: John Bruton
Priority as a TD: To support government that delivers broad and prompt political reform.
Why did you stand for election: Because I am proud of my country and want to contribute to our national recovery.
Mary Lou McDonald
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Dublin Central
Contact: 01 868 3934
Email: marylou@sinnfein.ie
Website: http://www.maryloumcdonald.ie/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/maryloumcdonald
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=522125106
Birth Place/Date: 1 May 1969
Marital Status/family: Married to Martin, two young children.
Education: English Literature, Trinity College, Dublin, European Integration Studies, University of Limerick and Human Resource Management, Dublin City University.
Occupation: Public representative
Dublin Mid-West
Derek Keating
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Dublin Mid West
Home Address: Beech Park, Lucan, Co Dublin
Contact: 087 285 7435
Email: info@derekkeating.net
Website: www.derekkeating.net
Twitter: www.twitter.com/derekkeating
Birth Place/Date: Ballyfermot, Dublin, May 1955
Marital Status/family: Married to Anne. Anne and I have two daughters, Niamh and Sinéad.
Education: De La Salle Primary and Secondary Ballyfermot
Occupation: Full-time public representative
Hobbies: Music, guitar and piano – Beatles, James Taylor and Christy Moore, walking, sport (varied).
Robert Dowds
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin Mid-West
Home Address: Castle Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
Contact: 087 652 0360
Email: rdowds@sdublincoco.ie
Website: http://www.labour.ie/robertdowds
Twitter: http://twitter.com/robert_dowdsTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Robert-Dowds/317195538269?v
Birth Place/Date: May 1953
Marital Status/family: Married with two children
Education: Finglas Parochial NS, Trinity College and St Patrick's College, Drumcondra.
Occupation: Public representative, teacher.
Dublin North
Clare Daly
Party: Socialist Party
Constituency: Dublin North
Home Address: Elmwood Drive, Swords, Co Dublin
Contact: 087 241 5576
Website: www.claredaly.ie/
Birth Place/Date: April 1968
Marital Status/family: Married
Education: Dublin City University, accounting and finance graduate
Occupation: Airport worker
Biog: Secured 7,513 first preference votes to get elected in the sixth count in her third general election attempt. She was first elected to Fingal County Council in 1999, and subsequently topped the poll in the Swords ward in 2004 and 2009.
Hobbies: Reading, playing piano & violin (badly).
Did you know: President of the Students' Union in NIHE Dublin and later at DCU.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Jim Larkin
Priority as a TD: Defending the living standards of ordinary people and public services.
Why did you stand for election: To use the position as a platform to organise from, to champion the issues that effect ordinary people and to encourage people in the communities and workplaces to take action themselves to defend their living standards and demand investment in jobs.
Alan Farrell
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Dublin North
Home Address: Biscayne, Malahide, Dublin
Contact: 086 820 3320
Email: alan.farrell@fingalcoco.ie
Website: http://www.alanfarrell.ie/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alanfarrell
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Alan-Farrell/1035764987
Birth Place/Date: Malahide, Dublin
Marital Status/family: Married
Education: Chanel College
Occupation: Fingal County Councillor
Brendan Ryan
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin North
Home Address: Baltrasna, Skerries, Co Dublin
Contact: 01 618 3421
Website: www.brendan-ryan.ie
Email: bren@brendan-ryan.ie
Marital Status/family: Married to Margie Monks and has three daughters.
Education: Educated at DIT, UCD and DCU, Brendan graduated with a degree in chemistry as well as being conferred with masters’ degrees in food science and business administration.
Occupation: Full-time public representative. Previously worked as an operations manager in the food and chemicals sectors of industry.
Biog: He secured 9,809 first preference votes and he was elected in the third count. He has been a senator since 2007 and he was an unsuccessful Dáil candidate in that year’s general election. His older brother Sean Ryan was TD from 1989 to 1997 and a senator from 1997 to 1998.
Hobbies: A keen sportsman in his time, he played table tennis with St Johns, Portrane, hockey with St Ita’s, Portrane, Gaelic football with St Patrick’s, Donabate, and soccer with St Ita’s, Portrane, Sandville, Donabate, Skerries United and Lusk United. He also managed soccer teams at youth and senior level in Skerries.
Dublin North Central
Aodháin O’Riordáin
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin North Central
Home Address: Clontarf Park, Dublin 3
Contact: 086 819 0336
Website: www.aodhanoriordain.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/aodhanoriordain
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000266602747
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, July 1976
Marital Status/family: Married.
Education: Malahide Community School, University College Dublin, Marino Institute of Education
Occupation: Full-time public representative and former school principal, St Laurence O'Toole's GNS, Sheriff Street
Biog: First elected to Dublin City Council 2004 for the North Inner City and for Clontarf 2009. Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin 2006-2007, elected to Dáil Eireann at first attempt in February 2011.
Hobbies: Dublin GAA fan, Bohs fan, Ireland soccer fan, drama nut, politics nut, coffee nut, I run and I tweet.
Did you know: Aodhán has had two of his plays staged by the National Irish Language Theatre, An Taibhdhearc, in Galway. His school football GAA team have won five county championships since 2001 and were featured in an RTÉ Radio 'Documentary on One'.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Dr Noel Browne, Martin Luther King.
Priority as a TD: Employment, education and most especially educational disadvantage.
Why did you stand for election: The children that I teach in Sheriff Street have inspired me to get involved in politics to build a fairer Ireland, to allow every child the chance to succeed and to fulfil their potential no matter who they are or where they come from.
Dublin North East
(No new candidates)
Dublin North West
Dessie Ellis
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Dublin North West
Contact: 086 854 1941
Email: dessiejohn.ellis@dublincity.ie
Website: www.sinnfein.ie/contents/19880
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cllrdessieellis
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Dessie-Ellis/100000051374440
Birth Place/Date: Finglas
Martial Status/Family: Married to Anne
Education: Kevin Street College of Technology
Occupation: Dublin City Councillor, qualified technician
John Lyons
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin North West
Home Address: Ballymun, Dublin 11
Website: http://cllrjohnlyons.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnlyonstd
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Cllr-John-Lyons-Labour-General-Election-Candidate-for-Dublin-North-West/147681471945788?v=wall
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, June 1977
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: Trinity Comprehensive Ballymun, NUI Maynooth (BA and HDip); Trinity College (Special Education).
Occupation: Public representative, Formerly secondary teacher.
Biog: Secured 4,799 first preference votes to get elected in the seventh and final count in his first general election. Co-opted onto Dublin City Council in February 2008 to replace Mary Murphy and re-elected in 2009.
Hobbies: Working out, cinema, DVDs, reading books and getting away when I can.
Did you know: I am the first in my family, of six siblings and myself to stay on in secondary school.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Mahatma Gandhi and Eamon Gilmore.
Priority as a TD: Social justice issues given the area that I come from.
Why did you stand for election: I genuinely believe that I could be part of a team of people that can make a real difference to the future of Irish society.
Dublin South
Peter Mathews
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Dublin South
Home Address: The Rise, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin
Contact: 086 109 1500
Website: www.petermathewsfg.ie
Email: peter.mathews@finegael.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/pbmathews
Facebook: www.facebook.com/petermathewsfg
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, August 1951
Marital Status/family: Married with four adult children – James, John, David and Maria.
Education: Gonzaga College, Dublin and UCD.
Occupation: Chartered Accountant and consultant (banking and finance)
Biog: He secured 9,053 first preference votes to get elected in the eight and final count in his first attempt.
Hobbies: Tennis, golf, swimming, walking, bridge and reading.
Did you know: I have run two marathons and three mara-cycles to Belfast and back in the 1980s.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Mahatma Ghandi
Priority as a TD: To serve my constituency and my country.
Why did you stand for election: To offer my professional and business skills to the Dáil.
Shane Ross
Party: Independent
Constituency: Dublin South
Home Address: Glenbrook, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
Contact: 01 618 3014
Website: www.shane-ross.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/senshaneross
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VoteShaneRoss?v=app_4949752878
Education: History and Politics, Trinity College Dublin
Occupation: Public representative. Business editor, Sunday Independent
Biog: He is the longest serving member of Seanad Eireann as he has been serving there since 1981.
Alex White
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin South
Home Address: Main Street, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.
Contact: 01 618 3972
Website: www.alexwhite.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexwhiteTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-White/58389344622
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, December 1958
Marital Status/family: Married to Mary Corcoran, one daughter one son.
Education: Chanel College, Coolock; Trinity College, Dublin (Economics and Social Studies); King’s Inns.
Occupation: Public representative and lawyer.
Biog: Secured 8,524 first preference votes to get elected in the sixth count in his second general election. He unsuccessfully contested the 2007 general election and he has been a member of Seanad Éireann since then. He finished second to Fine Gael candidate George Lee in the 2009 Dublin South by-election. He was elected to South Dublin County Council in June 2004 and served as deputy mayor in 2006-2007. He has been a practising barrister since 1994, he became a Senior Counsel in October 2010.
Hobbies: Music, cycling.
Did you know: Current affairs producer with RTÉ for ten years and was producer of the Gay Byrne Show from 1990 until 1994.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Not a man for heroes!
Priority as a TD: Job Creation and Economic Recovery
Why did you stand for election: To build a real republic through politics and active engagement, and to put Ireland on a new course of recovery and reform.
Dublin South Central
Joan Collins
Party: People Before Profit Alliance
Constituency: Dublin South Central
Home Address: Ring Street, Inchicore, Dublin 8
Contact: 086 388 8151
Website: www.joan-collins.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CllrJoanCollins
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000746982480
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, June 1961
Marital Status/family: Partner Dermot Connolly. Dermot’s two children and four grandchildren and my mam, four brothers, three nieces and four nephews.
Education: St John of God Secondary School, Coolock.
Occupation: Post office clerk with An Post
Biog: Secured 6,574 first preference votes to get elected in the 13th and final count in her second general election attempt. She was elected as independent councillor in the Crumlin/Kimmage ward in the 2004 local elections and re-elected as a People Before Profit Alliance councillor in the 2009 local elections. She unsuccessfully contested the 2007 general election. She has been an active member of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) since she stared working in Post and Telegraphs in 1979. She has been involved in numerous campaigns such as the anti-water tax and anti-bin charge campaigns.
Hobbies: Hugely interested in sports. I played basketball, camogie, football, volleyball and swim. Love a good book and timeout with my partner and family.
Did you know: Collins became a YouTube hit and featured on a BBC Panorama programme about Ireland’s boom and bust when she confronted former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern outside the Dáil and asked him if he had any shame over his role in the economic collapse.
Priority as a TD: Job Creation and protect community resources and people.
Why did you stand for election: To offer a clear ‘left’ radical alternative. Our country has been brought to its knees by the recklessness of a wealthy elite aided and abetted by corrupt and incompetent politicians. We need real change, real fighters for ordinary people in Dáil Éireann. Fine Gael and Labour will not deliver that change.
Michael Conaghan
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin South Central
Home Address: Lally Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10
Contact: 086 175 3747
Website: http://www.labour.ie/michaelconaghan/
Birth Place/Date: Donegal, September 1944
Marital Status/family: Married, two daughters
Education: Ard Scoil na gCeithre Maistir, Donegal Town, Manchester University, UCD.
Occupation: Public representative. Formerly a teacher for 33 years in Inchicore College of Further Education.
Biog: Secured 5,492 first preference votes to get elected in the 13th and final count. Conaghan has ran five previous elections, four as an independent (November 1982, 1987, 1989 and 1997) and he also contested the February 1982 for the short-lived Democratic Social Party, which was led by the Limerick socialist Jim Kemmy. He joined the Labour party in 1991 and he was elected to Dublin City Council later that year. He was re-elected in the 1999, 2004 and 2009 local elections.
Hobbies: Local history and heritage. Chairperson of Inchicore and Kilmainham Heritage Group.
Did you know: Conaghan emigrated to England and worked in construction for years to save money to go to college and become a teacher.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Jim Kemmy – as he was so courageous and went against the tide on all sorts of things such as family planning, divorce and the national question.
Priority as a TD: To make sure Labour’s employment policies can impact locally in areas such as Ballyfermot. Community, arts and education development. To make sure that the industrial heritage part of our culture is not abandoned.
Why did you stand for election: Labour has concrete and practical solutions that are capable of being translated into local action
Dublin South East
Kevin Humphreys
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin South East
Home Address: O'Connell Gardens, Dublin 4
Contact: 087 298 9103
Email: kevin.humphreys@dublincity.ie
Website: http://www.kevinhumphreys.ie/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cllrkevinhumphreys?v=info
Birth Place/Date: Ringsend, Dublin
Marital Status: Married to Catherine
Occupation: Dublin City Councillor
Eoghan Murphy
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Dublin South East
Home Address: Gallery Quay, Dublin 2
Contact: 086 086 3832
Website: www.eoghanmurphy.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MurphyEoghan
Birth Place/Date: April 1982
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: St Michael’s College, University College Dublin, King’s College London.
Occupation: Fine Gael TD for Dublin South East
Biog: Eoghan Murphy secured over 5,800 first preference votes in the 2011 General Election. He was first elected to Dublin City Council in 2009, to represent the Pembroke-Rathmines ward, where he topped the poll. Before entering politics, Eoghan worked in international arms control, mostly in the area of nuclear weapon disarmament. He has worked for various organisations, including the United Nations, in London, Geneva and Vienna. Upon his election he left his job as a speechwriter at the nuclear test-ban treaty commission in Vienna to work full-time as a Councillor for Dublin. Eoghan studied English and Philosophy (BA) in UCD, and International Relations (MA) in King’s College London, UCL.
Hobbies: Eoghan likes to read and is a keen participant in adventure sports such as adventure racing.
Did you know: Eoghan is one of six siblings. His favourite TV programme is Band of Brothers.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: President John F Kennedy.
Priority as a TD: To reform our political system and its structures
Why did you stand for election: I didn’t believe that we had been served well by our then current politician, nor did I believe they represented the majority of people anymore. We needed new people in politics if we were to forge a new path for the country. I wanted to be part of that and to be part of our renewal. I bring international experience to national politics having spent four years working for organisations such as the United Nations and with the European Union on some of the most serious international issues, like nuclear weapon disarmament. I also have experience of our local political system having spent the past 18 months as a City Councillor. I am currently the Chairperson of the committee responsible for the entire South East Area.
Dublin South West
Eamonn Maloney
Party: Labour
Constituency: Dublin South West
Home Address: St Maelruans Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Contact: 01 452 5298
Email: emaloney@sdublincoco.ie
Website: http://www.labour.ie/eamonnmaloney
Birth Place/Date: Donegal
Occupation: Mayor, South Dublin County Council
Dublin West
(No new candidates)
Dún Laoghaire
Richard Boyd Barrett
Party: People Before Profit Alliance - ULA
Constituency: Dún Laoghaire
Home Address: Station Rd, Glenageary, Co Dublin
Contact: Richard.BoydBarrett@oireachtas.ie
Website: www.richardboydbarrett.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RBoydBarrett
Facebook: www.facebook/RichardBoydBarrett
Birth Place/Date: London, November 1967
Marital Status/family: Single, two boys (son & step son).
Education: Johnstown National School, St Michael’s College, University College Dublin (BA and MA in English Literarture)
Occupation: Full-time public representative
Biog: Secured 6,206 first preference votes to get elected in the11th and final count in his third general election attempt. Boyd Barret unsuccessfully contested the 2002 and 2007 general elections. He was elected to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in 2009 and he is a founding member of the People Before Profit Alliance and the United Left Alliance. First became active in politics in 1989 with the Socialist Workers Party, anti-war movement and in anti-racist campaign work. He is a founding member and currently chairperson of Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM). He is the Dún Laoghaire convener of the Campaign Against Service Charges and also a founding member of Save Our Seafront campaign in Dún Laoghaire.
Hobbies: Reading, writing, music, theatre, film, walking, soccer
Did you know: As a teenager attended fundraising gigs for UK miners strike, anti-racist and anti-war campaigns, which first led to an interest in politics. In 1987-88, spent a year working in Israel/Palestine - arriving weeks before the outbreak of first Palestinian uprising (Intifada). Worked on an Israeli farm with Palestinians and later travelled to refugee camps in the occupied West Bank - witnessing first hand the mistreatment of Palestinians and denial of their human and civil rights. The experience prompted the decision to get involved in politics on returning to Ireland.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: The anonymous heroes of every people’s struggle against injustice, oppression and exploitation from the first slave revolts, to the recent Irish pensioner’s medical card protests, to the current revolutions in Egypt and the Arab world.
Priority as a TD: To campaign for jobs, the protection of public services, social and international solidarity and a more thorough-going participatory democracy.
Why did you stand for election: To use the Dáil position as a platform to promote movements of people power to achieve all of the above.
Mary Mitchell O’Connor
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Dún Laoghaire
Home Address: Maple Manor, Cabinteely, Co Dublin
Contact: 086 818 6725
Website: www.marymitchelloconnor.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mitchelloconnor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Mitchell-OConnor/172589456098763
Birth Place/Date: Galway
Marital Status/family: Divorced, two sons.
Education: Presentation Convent, Tuam, Co Galway; Carysfort College, Blackrock, Co Dublin and NUI Maynooth.
Occupation: Former school principal.
Biog: Secured 9,087 first preference votes to get elected in the tenth count in her first general election.
Hobbies: Reading.
Did you know: Mary Mitchell O’Connor used to be a Progressive Democrats councillor.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: John F Kennedy
Priority as a TD: To increase women’s representation in the Dáil and make improvements in the education sector.
Why did you stand for election: I stood for election to improve the lives of people, and our country.
Galway East
Ciaran Cannon
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Galway East
Home Address: Carrabane, Athenry, Co Galway
Contact: 087 228 3377
Birth Place/Date: Galway, September 1965
Marital Status/family: Married to Niamh Lawless, one son.
Education: Presentation College, Athenry, Co Galway. Studied computer science in Trinity College Dublin.
Occupation: Public representative. Formerly chief executive of charitable organisation.
Biog: Secured 6,927 first preference votes to get elected in the eighth count in his second general election. He unsuccessfully contested the 2007 general election for the Progressive Democrats and he was nominated by the Taoiseach to become a senator. He was leader of the PDs for a short period before the party folded and he joined the party in 2009. Cannon was elected to Galway County Council in 2004.
Did you know: After leaving college, he worked in the planning departments department of Dublin and Galway county councils.
Paul Connaughton
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Galway East
Home Address: Mountbellew, Ballinasloe, Co Galway
Contact: 087 235 4682
Twitter: www.twitter.com/connaughtonpaul
Birth Place/Date: Galway, January 1982
Marital Status/family: Engaged and getting married in July.
Education: Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew, Mountbellew Agricultural College, Business degree from GMIT, HDip in Marketing from NUI Galway.
Occupation: Public representative. Youth worker with Foroige for the last four years.
Biog: He secured 7,255 first preference votes to get elected in the eighth count in his first general election. He was elected to Galway County Council at his first attempt in the local elections in 2009.
Hobbies: GAA and soccer.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: To help fix this country and create jobs.
Why did you stand for election: As I am 29-years-old, I am part of a generation that are mostly affected by the actions of the last government. I have friends who have been crippled with mortgages and who are losing their jobs.
Colm Keaveney
Party: Labour
Constituency: Galway East
Home Address: Kilcreevanty, Tuam, Co Galway
Contact: 087 677 6812
Website: www.colmkeaveney.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/colm_keaveney
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Colm-Keaveney/1290927019
Birth Place/Date: Galway, January 1971
Marital Status/family: Married, three sons.
Education: St Jarlath’s College, Tuam, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Smurfit Business UCD.
Occupation: Public representative and SIPTU trade union organiser.
Biog: Secured 4,254 first preference votes to get elected in the ninth count in his third general election. He was elected to Galway County Council in 2004 and 2009.
Hobbies: Current affairs, gardening and spending time with his family.
Did you know: Colm was president of USI in 1995 and 1996 when Niamh Breathnach introduce free fees.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Dr Noel Browne
Priority as a TD: To protect the little public services that we have left in rural Ireland, reform politics, deliver jobs and stop emigration.
Why did you stand for election: To fight for the notion of a civilised society.
Galway West
Sean Kyne
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Galway West
Home Address: Clydagh, Moycullen, Galway
Contact: 087 613 7372
Website: www.seankyne.ie
Email: kynesean@eircom.net
Twitter: www.twitter.com/seankyne
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seankyne2011
Birth Place/Date: Galway, May 1975
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: Masters Agricultural Science UCD
Occupation: County Councillor and Agri-Environmental Consultant
Biog: Secured 4,550 first preference votes to get elected in the 13th count in his second general election attempt. He was elected with 17 voters more than Catherine Connolly after a two recounts. He unsuccessfully contested the 2007 general election. Kyne was first elected to Galway County Council in 2004 and he was re-elected in 2009.
Hobbies: Walking, reading and TV.
Did you know: Sean did a bungy jump and sky dive in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Franklin D Roosevelt and Lyndon B Johnson.
Priority as a TD: Job creation and protection, reform of SAC designations to allow for easier infrastructural development in Connemara.
Why did you stand for election: As the Senior Cllr for FG in Connemara I wanted to be a voice in Government for Connemara and for the farming community within the constituency.
Derek Nolan
Party: Labour
Constituency: Galway West
Home Address: Crescent View, Riverside, Galway
Contact: 091 561006
Website: www.dereknolan.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dereknolan_1
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dereknolan.galway
Birth Place/Date: Galway, October 1982
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: St Mary’s College, Galway, NUI Galway.
Occupation: Trainee solicitor.
Biog: Secured 7,502 first preference votes to get elected in the tenth count in his first general election attempt. Elected to Galway City Council in June 2009.
Hobbies: Reading, walking travelling.
Did you know: Derek is the youngest Labour TD in the 31st Dáil.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael D Higgins
Priority as a TD: Job creation.
Why did you stand for election: I believe in a different kind of politics and I want to offer people that choice.
Brian Walsh
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Galway West
Home Address: Drum East, Bushy Park, Galway
Contact: 086 833 3054
Website: www.brianwalshcampaign.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/brianwalshfg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Walsh/100000643948346
Birth Place/Date: Galway, September 1972
Marital Status/family: Married to Fiona and one daughter Lisa.
Education: St Joseph’s College, Nun’s Island (The Bish), Galway and Galway Mayo Institute of Technology.
Occupation: Runs own financial management business.
Biog: Secured 5,425 first preference votes to get elected in the 12th count in his first general election. He was elected to Galway City Council in 2004 and re-elected in 2009. He was Galway City Mayor in 2002.
Hobbies: Reading, current affairs, GAA, horse-racing, soccer, gardening.
Did you know: He was President of the Students’ Union in GMIT in 1993.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: Jobs and I want to prioritise investment in mental health services.
Why did you stand for election: I enjoy being a public representative locally and I believe I can do a better job at national level.
Kerry North/West Limerick
Arthur Spring
Party: Labour
Constituency: Kerry North-West Limerick
Home Address: Brook Lodge, Oak View, Tralee, Co Kerry
Contact: 066 712 5337
Website: http://www.labour.ie/arthurspring/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/springaj
Facebook: www.facebook.com/arthurjspring
Birth Place/Date: Tralee
Marital Status/family: Married to Fiona.
Education: CBS Tralee; Cistercian College Roscrea; Dublin Institute of Technology and Jonkoping International Business School, Sweden, qualifying with a B.Sc. in Management.
Occupation: Businessman, owns a juice bar in Tralee. Formerly worked in finance, working for companies including Anglo Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland.
Biog: Secured 9,159 first preference votes to get elected in the seventh and final count in his first general election. He has won back the Labour seat that his uncle Dick Spring , the former Tánaiste, lost to Sinn Fein’s Martin Ferris in 2002.
He topped the poll in both the Kerry County Council and Tralee Town Council elections in 2009.
Hobbies: Interested in all sports and out door activities such as hill walking in the Kerry mountains, swimming in Fenit. Interested in a wide variety of music, reading and socialising.?
Did you know: He lived in Sweden for a year for studying International Business and Environmental Management.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Ghandi
Priority as a TD: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. To reduce the rate of unemployment both locally and nationally.
Why did you stand for election: I felt that I needed to stand up and be involved in making a change for the better.
Kerry South
Tom Fleming
Party: Independent
Constituency: Kerry South
Home Address: Scartaglen, Kerry
Contact: 087 781 4781
Email: tomflemingmcc1@gmail.com
Website: http://www.tomflemingelection.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002019878815#!/profile.php?id=100002019878815
Birth Place/Date: Scartaglen, Kerry
Martial status: Married
Occupation: Kerry County Councillor
Brendan Griffin
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Kerry South
Home Address: Castlemaine, Co. Kerry
Contact: 087 652 8841
Website: www.brendangriffin.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cllrbgriffin
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=545556933
Birth Place/Date: Cork, March 1982
Marital Status/family: Married to Róisín
Education: Castledrum NS, Intermediate School Killorglin & NUI Galway (BA Hons. History, Sociology & Politics)
Occupation: Full-time public representative.
Biog: Contested first Kerry County Council election in 2004 polling 1,048 first preference votes but was not elected. 2004 to 2007 served as Parliamentary Assistant to Jimmy Deenihan TD. Elected to Kerry County Council in 2009, topping the poll in the Dingle Electoral Area with 2038 fpvs. Topped poll in Kerry South in 2011 general election with 8,808 first preference votes. Was self-employed as a publican from 2007 to September 2010 but gave up the business to focus on politics. Has also worked as a teacher and in the hotel industry.
Hobbies: Plays soccer and football with Mainebank FC and Keel GAA. Big Beatles and REM fan.
Did you know: Will be entering the Dáil on 29th birthday on 9 March. Charles Haughey was elected Taoiseach by the Dáil the day Brendan was born!
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Too many to mention one.
Priority as a TD: Contribute to our economic recovery and help rebuild our Republic.
Why did you stand for election: I felt that the country was calling on a new generation and new calibre of public representatives to step up to the mark.
Michael Healy-Rae
Party: Independent
Constituency: Kerry South
Home Address: Kilgarvan, Co Kerry.
Contact: 087 2461678
Website: cllrmhealyrae@eircom.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Healy-Rae/187472917944824?v=info
Marital Status/family: Married to Eileen. Five children
Education: Kenmare Vocational School, Salesian Brothers Palleskenry, Co Limerick
Occupation: Shopkeeper, Plant Hire
Biog: Secured 6,670 first preference votes to get elected in the sixth and final count in his first general election attempt. He was first elected to Kerry County Council in 1999 and he was re-elected in 2004 and 2009. He has been Mayor of Kerry on two occasions and he is currently a member of the HSE and the Citizens Information Board.
Hobbies: Shooting, walking, hill climbing and a strong interest in all sports.
Did you know: Michael was the winner of the RTÉ reality television series ‘Celebrities Go Wild’, with celebrities such as the late Katy French and former Olympic swimmer Michelle de Bruin, in 2007.
Kildare North
Anthony Lawlor
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Kildare North
Home Address: River Lawns, Kill, Co. Kildare
Contact: 087 2753 942
Email: me@anthonylawlor.ie
Website: http://anthonylawlor.ie/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/anthonylawlorfg
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001680805706
Birth Place/Date: Johnstown, Naas
Marital Status/family: Married to Margaret
Education: Degree in Agriculture and Higher Diploma in Education in Multyfarnham Agricultural College, University College Dublin and NUI Maynooth.
Occupation: Farmer
Kildare South
Martin Heydon
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Kildare South
Home Address: Blackrath, Colbinstown, Co.Kildare
Contact: Office 045 487 624
Email: martinheydonfg@gmail.com
Website: www.martinheydon.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/martinheydonfg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/martinheydonfinegael
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, August 1978
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: Crookstown National School, Ballitore Athy, Cross & Passion College, Kilcullen, Kildalton Agricultural College, Kilkenny
Occupation: Public representative and farmer
Biog: Secured 12,755 first preference votes to top the poll and get elected in the first count in his first general election attempt. Heydon runs the family farm in Kilcullen and he was elected to Kildare County Council in 2009.
Hobbies: GAA (club officer of local club St Laurences for past ten years including seven years as secretary), horse racing and current affairs
Did you know: Even though Heydon only got involved in politics less than three years ago, he achieved the highest percentage vote of any candidate in the country at 33.3% to regain the seat held until 2002 by Alan Dukes.Three years ago, I was not involved in politics at all and do not come from a political dynasty.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: WT Cosgrave – following a time of significant upheaval in the early 1920s and with minimal resources, Cosgrave and his government created the structures of our state that still exist today, including the construction of infrastructure including the Ardnacrusha water plant and the first sugar beet factory.
Priority as a TD: Political reform – as a young politician, I believe now is the time to ultimately change our system. The people have demanded it and we as a party now have an opportunity to prove that all political parties are not the same.
Why did you stand for election: Because I believe I had something to add and could effect change. I had watched from the sidelines as the bank guarantee was introduced and felt I needed to do more than just talk about it.
Laois/Offaly
Barry Cowen
Party: Fianna Fáil
Constituency: Laois/Offaly
Home Address: Lahinch, Clara, Co Offaly
Contact: 050 631 825
Occupation: Chairman, Offaly County Council
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Laois Offaly
Home Address: Oakley Park, Clareen Birr Co Offaly
Contact: 087 6330039
Website: www.corcorankennedy.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/corcorankennedy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marcella.corcorankennedy
Birth Place/Date: January 1963
Marital Status/family: Married
Education: Primary: High St NS Belmont Co Offaly. Secondary: St Josephs of Cluny and St Saran’s Ferbane Roscrea Community College, Co Tipprary Boston College Effective Politics Programme
Occupation: Home Maker
Biog: Married, two children, 21 and 17 years.
Started work at 17 years in ESB 1980-1991.
Full-time in home until 1998
PLC 1998
1999-2009 County Councillor Offaly County Council
Member of Midlands Regional Authority
Member of Fine Gael Executive Council
Chair of Fine Gael Councillors Organisation
Voluntary Work: Chairperson and Company Director Birr Theatre and Arts Centre
Company Director Filmbase
Member of Film Offaly
Chairperson of West and South Offaly Rural Transport Programme
Board of Management, Gallen CS, Ferbane, Co Offaly
Hobbies: Drama, walking, reading, cycling, painting, (member of Birr Art Group), astronomy (Member of Astronomy Ireland), Member of Crann, Member of Consumers Association of Ireland
Did you know: Third generation of public representation in the Corcoran family
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: To improve the economic, social and cultural life of our citizens
Why did you stand for election: I believe in public service and that it is time to put service back into public service. I want to represent the constituency to the best of my ability.
Brian Stanley
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Laois-Offaly
Home Address: Clonrooske Abbey, Portlaoise
Contact: 057 866 2851
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000856061133
Birth Place/Date: January 1980
Education: Mountrath Vocational School and Water Institute of Technology
Occupation: Public representative
Biog: Secured 8,039 first preference votes to get elected in the 13th and final count in his third general election attempt. He was elected to Portlaoise Town Council in 1999 and Laois County Council in 2004. He was re-elected to the county council in 2009.
Hobbies: Swimming
Did you know: Brian almost tripled his vote between the 2002 and 2011 general elections.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: James Connolly
Priority as a TD: Jobs, economy, housing, health, political reform, and sovereignty.
Why did you stand for election: To bring about political change
Limerick
Patrick O’Donovan
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Limerick
Home Address: Churchtown Road, Newcastle West, Co Limerick.
Contact: 069 78660
Website: www.patrickodonovan.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/podonovan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patrick-ODonovan/125065784228014
Birth Place/Date: Limerick, March 1977
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: Courtenay National School, Newcastle West, Scoil Mhuire agus Íde, Newcastle West, University College Cork, BSc (Chemistry), Mary Immaculate College Limerick, graduate diploma in Primary Education
Occupation: Primary Teacher, formerly industrial chemist, environmental health and safety officer.
Biog: Secured 8,597 first preference votes to get elected to the Dáil on his first attempt. He previously served as a member of Limerick County Council representing the Newcastle Electoral Area. He was co-opted to the council in 2003, elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2009.
Hobbies: Patrick enjoys walking and cycling, he is president of Newcastle West & District Lions Club and is a member of several community and voluntary organisations in the community.
Did you know: Patrick previously served as President of Young
Fine Gael Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins.
Priority as a TD: To create the environment in which jobs can be created and to help restore trust in politics.
Why did you stand for election: I believe it was time for a younger generation of politicians who with fresh ideas and are committed to helping the people and I wanted to play a part in leading change in Ireland.
Limerick City
(No new candidates)
Longford Westmeath
Nicky McFadden
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Longford/Westmeath
Home Address: Arcadia Crescent, Athlone
Contact: 087 677 1267
Website: nicky.mcfadden@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/senmcfadden
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicky-McFadden/43114704439
Birth Place/Date: Athlone, December 1962.
Marital Status/family: Divorced, two children.
Education: St Joseph’s College Summerhill, Athlone. Athlone IT (Diploma in Legal Studies)
Occupation: Full-time public representative. Formerly medical secretary and ESB employee.
Biog: Secured 6,129 first preference votes to get elected on the eight and final count. After unsuccessfully contesting the 2007 general election she was elected to Seanad Éireann. She was first elected to Athlone Town Council in 1999, when she topped the poll. In 2003 she was co-opted onto the Westmeath County Council when her father Brendan McFadden, retired.
Hobbies: Walking, socialising with and cooking dinner for friends and spending time with my family.
Did you know: Nicky is the first female Fine Gael TD in Westmeath and the first Fine Gael TD from the South Westmeath area since Paddy Cooney 20 years ago.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: John Hume
Priority as a TD: Create a stimulus for jobs.
Why did you stand for election: I stood for election because I wanted to be a strong voice for people who are voiceless and small businesses. To try and improve things in general for people as I have never seen such heartache and pain as I witnessed during the recent election campaign.
Robert Troy
Party: Fianna Fáil
Constituency: Longford/Westmeath
Home Address: Main Street, Ballynacargy, Mullingar, Co Westmeath
Contact: 087 7979890
Email: roberttroy2004@eircom.net
Website: http://www.roberttroy.ie/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cllrtroy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1596728296
Birth Place/Date: Mullingar, Westmeath
Education: St Finian’s College
Occupation: Westmeath County Councillor
Louth
Gerry Adams
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Louth
Contact: +44 90347350
Email: sfwestbelfast@talk21.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sinn-Fein-President-Gerry-Adams/165088196843841
Birth Place/ Date: Belfast, October 1948
Marital Status/family: Married to Collette, three children
Occupation: Former MLA and MP, West Belfast
Peter Fitzpatrick
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Louth
Home Address: Dundalk, Louth
Email: peterfitzpatrick@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PFitzpatrickFG
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002024295766
Occupation: Louth Senior Football Manager
Gerald (Ged) Nash
Party: Labour
Constituency: Louth
Home Address: Newfield, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Contact: 087 271 6816
Website: www.geraldnash.com
Birth Place/Date: Drogheda, December, 1975.
Marital Status/family: Not married
Education: St Joseph’s CBS, Drogheda, University College, Dublin.
Occupation: European Parliamentary Assistant and Public Representative. Stood unsuccessfully in 2007 general election.
Biog: Spent ten years as a public relations consultant to the not-for-profit sector. He has also spent a period self-employed where he advised small and medium enterprises. Heavily involved in youth, sports and arts organisations. He is on the Board of Louth Craftmark, the Droichead Arts Centre and Calipo Theatre Company (who produced the award winning RTÉ series Love is the Drug. He is also Secretary of Drogheda Youth Development. A member of the Drogheda United FC Steering Group, he is also involved with Boyne Rovers FC and has played Gaelic Football with Newtown Blues GFC.
Hobbies: Soccer, theatre, cinema and reading
Did you know: He served as Mayor of Drogheda, Ireland’s largest town at just 28 years of age in 2004.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: James Connolly
Priority as a TD: Job creation and political reform.
Why did you stand for election: I stood for election to ensure that we arrest the collapse in the economy, create jobs and usher in a new generation of political leaders intent on reforming politics.
Mayo
Michelle Mulherin
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Mayo
Home Address: Moy Heights, Ballina, Co Mayo
Contact: 087 931 7406
Website: Yes
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mulherinfg
Birth Place/Date: Castlebar, January 1972
Marital Status/family: Single.
Education: St Mary’s Convent of Mercy, Ballina, UCD and Law Society of Ireland.
Occupation: Solicitor.
Biog: Secured 8,851 first preference votes to get elected in the eighth and final count at her second attempt to win a Dáil seat. She was elected to Ballina Town Council in 1999, Mayo County Council in 2004 and re-elected to both in 2009 and topped the poll in each. She was Mayor of Ballina in 2008 and 2009.
Hobbies: Basketball and amateur drama.
Did you know: She was the first female Fine Gael representative on Ballina Town Council and Mayo County Council and she is now the party’s first female TD for Mayo.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Mary Robinson
Priority as a TD: Job creation, through the development of indigenous resources in Mayo such as wind, wave and biomass and the development of tourism and agricultural sectors.
Why did you stand for election: I really enjoy being part of our democracy. Politics may have a bad name but it allows you meet the most noble that restore your faith in humanity every time.
Meath East
Dominic Hannigan
Party: Labour
Constituency: Meath East
Home Address: Dunshaughlin, Co Meath
Contact: 087 641 8960
Website: www.dominichannigan.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/domhannigan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Senator-Dominic-Hannigan/110917065610132
Birth Place/Date: July 1965
Education: Cushenstown National School, Kilmoon, Co Meath; St Mary’s CBS Secondary School, Drogheda; UCD (Engineering degree), City University, London (Masters in Transport), University of London (Masters in Finance)
Occupation: Public representative and businessman.
Biog: Hannigan topped the poll in Meath East with 8,994 first preference votes to get elected on the fourth and final count. He stood unsuccessfully in 2007 general election and 2005 Meath by-election. He has been a member of Seanad Éireann since 2007 and he was elected to Meath County Council in 2004.
Hobbies: Dominic supports Drogheda United, Spurs and enjoys hill walking.
Did you know: Dominic was a member of UCD Students Union in 1982 and he has climbed Kilimanjaro and Machu Pichu.
Priority as a TD: Help create jobs
Regina Doherty
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Meath East
Home Address: Glebe Park, Rathoath, Co Meath
Contact: 087 268 0182
Website: www.reginadoherty.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/reginado
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1749441460
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, January 1971
Marital Status/family: Married to Declan Doherty. Two boys and two girls.
Education: St Mary Holy Faith, Glasnevin and College of Marketing and Design in Mountjoy.
Occupation: Used to work in sales.
Biog: Secured 8,677 first preference votes to get elected n the fourth and final count in her second general election attempt. She unsuccessfully contested the 2007 general election.
Hobbies: Reading, music, singing and GAA.
Did you know: Regina paddled a canoe down the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Nora Owen
Priority as a TD: Job creation.
Why did you stand for election: I am passionate about public service.
Meath West
Ray Butler
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Meath West
Home Address: Swift Court, Trim, Co Meath.
Contact: 046 948 6717
Website: Under construction
Birth Place/Date: Virginia, Co Cavan, December 1965
Marital Status/family: Married to Marie with four children Eric, Chloe, Emily, Ciara
Education: Kells CBS
Occupation: Full-time public representative
Biog: Secured 5,262 first preference votes to get elected in the fifth and final count to get elected in his first general election. He was only added to the party ticket by the Fine Gael National Executive, month before the election. He was elected to Trim Town Council in 2004 and re-elected in 2009. At the same time he topped the poll in the Trim electoral area to win a seat on Meath County Council.
Hobbies: Ray has a keen interest in all sports mainly ball games including GAA and soccer. He is also a fan of greyhound racing.
Did you know: Ray is the driving force behind Trim’s annual St Patrick’s Day parade and he has twice declined trips to take part in the parade in New York in favour of his own local parade.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: Job creation, support community projects, improve public transport in Meath and Westmeath, public service and healthcare reform.
Why did you stand for election: He first got involved out of a strong desire to serve his community. He is still driven by that same principle.
Peadar Toibin
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Meath West
Home Address: Navan
Email: peadartoibin@gmail.com
Website: http://peadartoibin.ie/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/toibin1
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=625051795
Birth Place/Date: Navan, Meath
Marital Status/family: Married to Deirdre
Education: Economics and Politics, UCD; Postgraduate qualification in Enterprise, Michael Smurfit School of Business UCD.
Occupation: Deputy Mayor of Navan; management consultant
Roscommon/ South Leitrim
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan
Party: Independent
Constituency: Roscommon/South Leitrim
Home Address: Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
Contact: 0863685680
Email: Luke@LukeMingFlanagan.ie
Website: http://www.lukemingflanagan.ie/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lukeming
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elect-Luke-Ming-Flanagan-as-a-TD-in-January-2011/135419496511490?sk=info
Birth Place/Date: Castlerea, Janurary 1972
Occupation: Former mayor
Sligo/North Leitrim
Tony McLoughlin
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Sligo-North Leitrim
Home Address: Beechlawn, Barnasragh, Sligo
Contact: 087 663 3587
Birth Place/Date: Sligo, January 1949
Marital Status/family: Married to Paula with two sons and one daughter
Education: Attended Mount St Joseph’s Collage, Roscrea, Co Tipperary
Occupation: Sales executive
Hobbies: Swimming, football and walking
Did you know: My late uncle Joe McLoughlin served as a TD for Sligo-Leitrim from 1961-1977
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Garret FitzGerald
Priority as a TD: Job creation and increased investment for Sligo-North Leitrim
Why did you stand for election: It has always been my ambition to represent the people of Sligo/North Leitrim at national level, having served as a local representative for many years.
Michael Colreavy
Party: Sinn Féin
Constituency: Sligo/North Leitrim
Home Address: Main Street, Manorhamilton, Leitrim
Contact: 087 249 9476
Email: michael@colreavy.net
Website: http://www.colreavy.net/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MichaelColreavy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colreavy-for-SligoNorth-Leitrim-Change-Is-Coming/129484853785983
Birth Date/Place: Sligo
Marital Status/family: Married to Alice, eight children, five grandchildren.
Occupation: Former Leitrim County Councillor
Alan Kelly
Party: Labour
Constituency: Tipperary North
Home Address: Summerhill, Nenagh, Co Tipperary
Contact: 086 606 1101
Email: office@alankelly.ie
Website: http://www.alankelly.ie/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alankellylabour
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alankellylabour
Birth Place/Date: Portroe, Tipperary, July 1975
Marital Status/family: Married to Regina
Education: Political History, UCC
Occupation: MEP, Tipperary South
Tipperary South
(No new first time TDs)
Waterford
Paudie Coffey
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Waterford
Home Address: Portlaw, Co. Waterford
Contact: 051 835 867
Website: www.paudiecoffey.finegael.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaudieCoffey
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Paudie-Coffey/1107070069
Birth Place/Date: Waterford, May 1969
Marital Status/family: Married to Suzanne Coffey, two daughters and one son
Education: St Declan’s Community College, Kilmacthomas. Paudie Studied at Waterford Regional Technical College and he also completed a certificate in UCD.
Occupation: Full-time public representative and businessman.
Biog: Paudie Coffey secured 9,698 first preference votes and got elected on the ninth count in Waterford in his second attempt to get elected, increasing his vote by more than 5,000 first preferences.
He was elected to Waterford County Council in 1999 and re-elected in 2004 and then was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann. During his time on the council Paudie served as Deputy Mayor of Waterford County and as Chairman of the South East Regional Authority.
Paudie and his family have always been involved in small business. Paudie also worked with the ESB for almost 20 years before becoming a full time public representative in 2007. Paudie is also heavily involved in local voluntary organisations such as Tidy Towns, Heritage Committee. He is also a member of the local suicide awareness and prevention committee and is chairperson of the board of management in a medium size school in Waterford County.
Hobbies: Paudie is a member of Portlaw GAA Club and has a keen interest in all sports, he also enjoys reading, and watching films.
Did you know: Paudie has played at every level of hurling from Minor to Senior Inter-County. Paudie was also coach of the Waterford Under-21 Hurling Team.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Michael Collins
Priority as a TD: Getting the people of Waterford back to work, ensuring that University Status is achieved for WIT and making sure that we have a strong Agri-food sector and fisheries sector. Playing a strong role on the national stage to make sure that we can recover as a nation and help to implement badly needed reforms to make Ireland better.
Why did you stand for election: I have been involved in politics for the 12 years both at local and national level and I have seen both the positive and negative impact that politics can have on people’s lives. I have been disheartened at the way the country has been run over the last number of years and how Irish society became too individualistic, I stood on a platform of job creation, reform and on regional issues such as university status for WIT.
John Halligan
Party: Independent
Constituency: Waterford
Contact: 086 267 8622
Email: cllrjhalligan@representative.com
Website: http://www.johnhalligan.net/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnhalligan/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/johnhalliganwaterford
Birth Place/Date: Waterford
Occupation: Waterford City Council
Ciara Conway
Party: Labour
Constituency: Waterford
Contact: 087 652 8562
Email: voteconway@gmail.com
Website: http://www.labour.ie/ciaraconway
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ciaramconway
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ciara-Conway-General-Election-Candidate-for-Waterford/120719804666208
Education: Masters in Social Work, UCC
Occupation: Dungarvan Town Councillor
Wexford
Mick Wallace
Party: Independent
Constituency: Wexford
Website: http://www.mickwallace.net
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wallacemick
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/votemickwallace
Occupation: Builder and property developer
Did you know?: Mick Wallace is the founder and coach of the Wexford Youths Football Club
Wicklow
Stephen Donnelly
Party: Independent
Constituency: Wicklow
Home Address: Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Contact: Waiting on Oireachtas phone number
Website: www.stephendonnelly.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/donnellystephen
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DonnellyforWicklow
Birth Place/Date: Dublin
Marital Status/family: Married to Susan Leavy, two sons.
Education: St David’s Greystones, University College Dublin (engineering), MIT (engineering), Harvard Kennedy School of Government (Master in Public Administration in International Development)
Occupation: Public Representative (previously management consultant)
Biog: Stephen is 36 years old and lives in Greystones with his wife, Susan, and two young boys. He grew up in Dundrum, Delgany and Greystones and attended St David’s secondary school in Greystones.
He studied mechanical engineering at UCD and worked briefly as a design engineer in Dublin before doing post grad research in large scale system design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. Stephen has worked for international management consultancy McKinsey & Company and the London-based consulting firm Eden McCallum. In 2008, he completed a masters’ degree in Public Administration in International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Since returning to McKinsey & Company in 2008, he has worked serving public, private and social sector clients.
Hobbies: Most of Stephen’s time is dedicated to raising his two boys with his wife Susan, and now to being a worthy representative for the people of Wicklow and East Carlow. In what time is left, he enjoys hill walking, swimming, movies and live music of all kinds.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.
Priority as a TD: i) Economy: Stimulate job creation, get the debt under control and access our full pool of talent.
ii) Public services: Radically improve our secondary school standards, push teaching standards in our third level institutions and reform healthcare (including equal access).
iii) Political reform: Make the Dáil more effective and inclusive (eg, access to Civil Service for the Opposition, stronger committee system, real debate in the Chamber on the issues of the day), strongly promote female participation (eg, temporary quotas) and increase local participation in our democracy.
Why did you stand for election:
Since 2007 I have become more and more concerned about Ireland’s increasingly vulnerable position as a result of the mistakes which have been made by the previous Government and of the overall ineffectiveness of the Irish political system. It seems to me that for the past number of years the political system has put the interests of the rich and powerful over the interests of the people. For me, this culminated in the IMF coming to Ireland at the end of 2010 – the day the IMF team arrived in Dublin is the day I decided to stand for election. I believe that Ireland can have a bright future as a leading small country in Europe if we begin to make the right economic and social decisions, and if we radically reform the political system.I don’t have all the answers, but I do have relevant skills and experience to the challenges and opportunities ahead of us. I decided to stand because I want to contribute to turning our country around, and to rebuilding our society and economy. I want to ensure that my two sons grow up in a strong and vibrant Wicklow and Ireland.
Anne Ferris
Party: Labour
Constituency: Wicklow
Home Address: Seapoint Court, Bray, Co Wicklow.
Contact: 01 618 3000
Website: www.labour.ie/anneferris
Birth Place/Date: Dublin
Marital Status/family: Anne has three daughters, Amber and Robyn who also live in Bray and Leonie who lives and works in Naas, Co Kildare.
Education: Educated in St Agnes’ Primary School, Crumlin, and Goldenbridge Secondary School, Inchicore. Has a diploma in Women’s Studies from Maynooth College.
Occupation: Full-time public representative.
Biog: Anne worked with Liz McManus for 18 years and managed Liz’s busy Constituency Office in Bray. Anne was originally co-opted to Bray Town Council in January 1995 when McManus was appointed Minister for Housing in the Rainbow Coalition. Subsequently, she was re-elected in both the 1999 and 2004 local elections and served as Chairperson of the Bray Town Council on two occasions in 2000/2001 and 2004/2005. Anne was again co-opted to fill Liz McManus’s seat on Wicklow County Council in 2003 as a result of the abolition of the dual mandate. She was successfully re-elected the following year in 2004
She is a former member of Wicklow VEC, a Director of the Mermaid Arts Centre and Bray Tourism. Up to the election she was a Director & PRO of the Bray & District Chamber of Commerce. Anne is also a member of SIPTU.
Did you know: In 2007 she became the second woman ever in the history of Wicklow County Council to serve as Chairperson.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Hilary Clinton
Priority as a TD: I want to represent the people I met on the campaign who have lost their jobs, are worried about losing their homes and the self-employed people who have lost their jobs and are not entitled to social welfare payments
Why did you stand for election: I wanted to keep a Labour seat and keep Liz McManus’ seat, as women are grossly under-represented in the Dáil.
Simon Harris
Party: Fine Gael
Constituency: Wicklow
Home Address: Redford Park, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Contact: 01 2764619
Website: www.simonharris.ie / www.simonharris.finegael.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CllrSimonHarris
Birth Place/Date: Dublin, October 1986
Marital Status/family: Single
Education: St David’s Secondary School, Greystones, Co Wicklow; DIT Aungier Street
Occupation: Full-time public representative. Formerly worked in Leinster House as an assistant to former Fine Gael Seanad leader Frances Fitzgerald.
Biog: Secured 8,726 first preference votes to get elected in the 19th count in his first general election attempt. In June 2009, Simon Harris was elected to Wicklow County Council and Greystones Town Council, topping the poll in both elections. In 2002, Simon established an autism support and lobby group called the Wicklow Triple A Alliance which provided support to families living with autism and sought improved supports for children with conditions on the autistic spectrum.
Hobbies: Socialising with friends and family, reading, cinema.
Did you know: Simon was awarded a Greystones Person of the Year award in 2002 in recognition of his work as a disability advocate.
Politician (living or deceased) that you most admire: Liam Cosgrave Snr
Priority as a TD: Providing a voice to special educational needs and mental health issues in the Dáil.
Why did you stand for election: I stood for election because I believe we need a diversity of voice in the Dáil and my generation has both a right and an obligation to be heard in the political process. I also wanted to ensure that issues which I have worked on for some time in relation to disability matters, etc are championed in the Dáil. I have watched first hand as my friends have emigrated from this country due to the economic crisis and I wanted to play my part in creating a stable, alternative government.